Hero: Do you know what today is? And no I'm not talking about when most of this chapter is taking place. It's the day you leave Inaba. Ain't that ironic. So, we got some fun stuff happening here. There is a warning for sexual content. Nothing explicit, just implied and stuff. You already knew that was happening. So... with that said, here's Chapter 34 of "Our Year Together"! Special thanks to my friends Brooke, Kris, and Taylor for proofreading/supporting me with this. And uh, hope you look forward to the little twist I snuck in.(That I meant to put in the last chapter but forgot, actually...)

Chapter 34

12/23

The evening sun has fully descended and the long night begins. Souji was just finishing up adjusting his models. The two robots he built for the satisfaction of the father of that girl who always asked for materials from him, a Jack Frost, and Pyro Jack he won from the Crane game… and lastly, a special request he made from that same man… a model scooter! It was based on his. But he had noticed Yukiko's model scooter on the way out of the shop; unfortunately he couldn't get it in time since he grabbed a different model before spotting it, but maybe it'll be a nice surprise next time.

A sigh escaped his lips. He was pleased, but that empty spot really bothered him. Oh well.

Suddenly, his phone pinged from a text message! When he grabs and flips it open, he quickly realizes who it is.

It's Christmas Eve tomorrow. Would you like to spend time with me? Just the two of us. How does that sound?

Of course he would reply to that with Yes. His blunt nature wasn't needed for that. A minute later, she responded with:

Great! I'll see you then.

His first Christmas with her… and she'll be coming back to his house. Those three days without her here feel worth it now. One more night with her and him, alone under this roof. And this will be both of their first times celebrating Christmas like this. He was already excited for the notion. On top of school releasing early… there's things he must prepare for… mainly in acquiring a cake! Tomorrow is looking to be a very joyous occasion! Time to start preparing for it. And the evening would continue.

12/24

The next day would come, and school would come to a close early and thus, Souji had to book it to Junes. He should have seen this possibility coming, but alas, he expected Yukiko to be busy today given what she stated on her last night with him. Even then, she wanted to help the Inn for a few hours before it was time to rendezvous with Souji in the evening. But he needed to secure a cake. It was unlikely he would find one, but he had to try nonetheless. Yosuke looked like he had something to say to his partner, but an abrupt phone call immediately took his attention. Souji could not wait and bid him farewell as he walked a brisk pace over to the Megastore.

At Junes, the sight of many people scrambling to get last minute necessities was clear; he wasn't the only one trying to get everything ready for tonight or tomorrow. He arrived at the Bakery section to find his desired prize, but alas, all have seemed to be taken or reserved.

"Damn… I can try to make one, but…" he spoke aloud in a hushed tone. The problem would be he needs to bake and decorate it. And this isn't something he is too familiar with. He can cook, and cook well, but baked goods and sweets are not his forte. Still, if this was his challenge… so be it. At least, that would have happened if not for the fact Yosuke appeared before him holding a paper with his name on it!

"Yo, partner. Figured you'd come by here. So, I took the liberty of reserving a cake for you and your girl. You can thank me later." Yosuke tried to sound like the smoothest bro. And in Souji's dire moment… he was.

"Yosuke, I'm surprised. I thought I was going to have to bake one ASAP. But… don't you need one for you and Chie?"

"Yeah, uh… about that. I'm gonna have to apologize to her."

"Wait, why? Don't tell me Teddie did something." In that moment when the bear's name was spoken, Yosuke cringed.

"Yeah… it's kind of his fault. He left some food lying around and now our home just got sprayed over and smells like Pesticide." Bugs, huh. Well, that's a real wrench thrown in the Magician's plans.

"That's bad… I can only hope she understands." What good would the leader's words work on her? Today is all about young couples enjoying this coming night together. And for both pairs, it's going to be their first Christmas time in intimate relationships.

"Yeah. Well, the best I can do at this point is to make sure yours goes smoothly."

"Well, you're a lifesaver, Yosuke. I owe you one for this." The Wild Card was bailed out by his trusted right hand man. Things were looking up.

"Well, I better get going. I need to get her a good present to make up for this. You two have a good time!" He started to head the other way, shockingly no room for a tease at the fact they'll be alone tonight.

Souji had stepped up and acquired the cake, and went straight home after getting some last minute groceries. The night now looks promising with no signs of anything going awry.

Evening hours.

Yukiko had arrived a little bit sooner than expected and scurried up to her boyfriend's room. It wasn't that long ago she was sleeping here with him, yet it still felt like a very big moment. Perhaps this was due to the fact it was her first Christmas with a boy she liked.

The two were sitting across from one another, the small cake resting atop the table that separated them.

"My parents booted me out of the house tonight… I was helping out like normal, but my parents said I was bothering them…" Her face begins to glow red. "They're being overprotective. I can go on a date without any help!" She sounded a little whiny, as if feeling underestimated by her parents, to which she giggled. "But I love them so much." She took a deep breath, giving her boyfriend a smile. Already she was enjoying her time spent with him.

"Thanks for the cake! It looks really delicious!" That remark reminded her of something she wanted to present to him sooner. She pulled a neatly wrapped present, the wrapping was in bright red with a green bow. "By the way, I have a present for you." She then holds it over to his side. With a nod from her beloved, he grabs the gift and begins unwrapping it, with no haste, and when its contents are revealed after opening the box, a warm smile beams off his face.

"Yukiko… it's beautiful. Thank you." It was a Leather Keychain. It even had his first name engraved on it, in Kanji letters of course. Her eyes looked down, glad for his acceptance, but it's only another reminder of the inevitably of March's approach.

"I know you won't be staying in Inaba forever. I want you to take that when you go, for me. Since I'm going to be staying here, in this town…" She would give a meek sigh. The priestess would shake her head, trying to get those negative thoughts off her mind. "Mhmhm, I should stop talking about gloomy stuff like that. We've solved the case. I want today to be fun!" She sounded like Rise for a second with that last sentence." She started pondering something, her eyes looking the other direction. "I've been wondering why I like you…"

There were so many ways he could answer. Play it off not knowing, answering it honestly, but.. "It can't be helped." He wanted to have fun too. She couldn't help but laugh a bit at his reply.

"You're so confident… At first, I was interested in you. When I realized that, I was already going after you. It's tough that you'll be leaving, but… I have to accept that."

"I won't be gone forever. I'll come back. Even I have to walk every step here. I will be back." He answered back with his calm assurance. She couldn't help it, her face was beaming at the notion that he would do whatever it takes to return to her.

The evening would continue on, the two enjoying the cake he bought, and Souji informing Yukiko about the situation the other couple is likely currently facing. Of course Teddie was the reason why it was ruined.

When Souji went downstairs to throw the rubbish away, he could hear Yukiko's footsteps moving around in his room. What was she doing? He had to hurry with the coffee he was brewing. Hopefully his Uncle will understand why Souji got into his instant coffee. It was getting cold just like December 3rd. As he entered with two mugs, she was looking out the window.

"Oh, Souji-kun! Look! It's snowing!" She sounded so giddy. Almost like a child. Snow was common in Inaba during winter, but usually, it wouldn't arrive and pile up until January. But today of all days… this was perfect for the atmosphere.

"Come sit next to me, then. Let's watch the snow together." He would offer, to which she would gladly accept. If only the loveseat was angled better. Alas, they simply moved the table and pulled the futon out for the both of them to sit on. The lights were off as all they needed was the lights from the streets outside to witness the elegant snow. The scent of hot coffee, followed by the cold night, led to a very intimate setting.

"Hey, is this… what they call a White Christmas?" It's a term used commonly in the West. Something he heard from his parents.

"I believe so… it's beautiful. But, not as beautiful as the woman next to me."

"Somehow… I knew you would say that." She giggled, her head now resting on his shoulder.

"It can't be helped."

"Oh, stop it, you." He didn't even need to look at her to tell she was smiling. Her delivery gave it away. Her fingers fidgeted on the warm cup she was holding. "...Um, so what else do people do during Christmas? The inn is always busy during this time of year, so I've never spent a Christmas night like this before. …I've never had a boyfriend before, either… I'm so… happy that you're my first boyfriend." Her eyes scanned the snowflakes as they descended a bit further. They likely weren't going to pile up for tomorrow. "Um… that's not the first time I've had that thought." She sighed, the heiress was a bit embarrassed that she just admitted that. But then, she heard the clock in his room go off. That subtle sound that gave off the hour changing… given the time they've spent so far… It's likely 10PM. Better now than never.

"Um, Souji-kun… Can I… Stay here tonight…?" She quickly threw out a reason to validate her question. "I told my mother that I would spend the night at Chie's place… so I can stay here without anyone minding." Her face grew so red! Why was she saying this? She literally spent half the month under this roof with him! This should be easy!

"I… wouldn't want you to go tonight. I should be asking you to stay, Yukiko." He wrapped his arm around her waist, his other hand leaving his finished cup on the table.

"O-Oh…!" Seems she got the hint. She wasn't going to leave tonight. Not that she wanted to anyway. Her mind raced, his hand was resting on her hips more on her skirt. "I… that isn't fair." She wanted to take the initiative. But he was always three steps ahead of her… unless. She stretched her arm, getting her almost finished cup to the table and leaving it there. Two can play at that game…

"S-Souji-kun…!" She swayed her body to his left to make him break apart from her, following it up with a slightly more aggressive push to have him on his back.

DOWN!

She has her chance now... Is she ready? ….Yes, she is.

"Now it's my turn!" She would lower herself, locking lips with him… her hair going straight down, landing around his face, obscuring them both.

The smell of hot coffee lingered in the air as their long evening continued.

?/?

…In a Dark, stormy night, Souji is running forth, friends behind him. He's sprinting with all he has, more than he would in a Soccer match.

Ahead of him, a loud crash, unable to be seen by buildings ahead of them. Could it be…? He must hurry.

Moments later, he would arrive at the source of the noise. Two vehicles smashed up beside each other. It was a Delivery truck… and his Uncle's car. Adachi forced the door open, breaking the window to open it, and pulling a body out.

"Dojima-san…!" …He was unresponsive.

"...The Truck-!" Naoto quickly snapped into focus, "Kanji-kun, with me!" Kanji rushed with his Detective comrade. The two each struggled to open the door on each side. "Blast!"

Souji rushed to his uncle. "Uncle! Stay with me!" He shook him, but Adachi put a hand on his shoulder, requesting space to check if he still had a pulse.

The sounds of doors open as the two first years break them open at last, but once they climb up to see the inside… they quickly drop off.

"No… god, he's …!" Naoto exclaimed, as if to see something beyond horrid. Something she wished not to see.

"No… dammit, no! Senpai-!" He saw something else. He went up again to pull something, someone out from the passenger's side… a small, limp body. "Senpai!" The tall underclassman screamed out, as tears formed, the sight of the innocent girl broke him, as it was breaking Souji, the unwavering Leader.

"No… no…-!"

12/25

The Leader woke up, almost jolting his whole body up from the futon, his body burning up from his bare chest upward.

"Nana-!" When he felt himself unable to move any higher than a few inches from the futon's pillow, he didn't finish his sister's name. The reason he couldn't move? The source was an arm wrapped around him… his beloved was still sleeping next to him, albeit she too was also rather bare. He looked at the clock… It was a bit past 8AM. Seems they slept in a bit. School life had them used to being early birds. His eyes still looked distraught, but he felt movement. His girlfriend was shuffling around him, her eyes slowly opening.

"...Morning." she sounded groggy, but her body felt recharged! But when her dark eyes looked at his silver pupils… something felt off. "Are you… okay?" She felt warm as well, but that was natural when it's this cold and you're under a warm futon. Being cuddled up next to your loving partner helps too. She lifted herself up, her arm coming off his body when she felt that… he was a bit sweaty.

"Is… Nanako safe?" He asked that first? That was… unusual.

"Mhm. She's safe. Tell me what's wrong?"

"Can we… see her?" His eyes looked away from her for a moment and then back, as if scanning to see if the girl was around.

"Souji-kun… she's fine. Please believe me." She tried to pull him up to where they both sat upright, the blanket still covering their lower halves. "Come here." She held him gently. "She's safe. You saved her. We all did. She's recovering at the hospital…"

"R-Right…" the truth was coming back to him. "And my Uncle?"

"Him too. They're both recovering." She spoke in such a hushed, loving tone. She wondered if a nightmare was the reason for this, given he just woke up too.

"Okay… sorry, Yukiko. I… had a dream…" He would go on to explain it while he still could… in very minute detail. The exhaustion of running, the weather, the noise… and the bodies. That part made her gasp, tightening her grip around him.

"I… I'm sorry you had to recall all that in such a way…" She brushed his bangs away, kissing him on the forehead. "Let's… stay like this until you calm down." She honestly wasn't sure if this would help… but it was all she could think of.

"Yeah. Sorry, Yukiko…" his racing mind and heart were finally slowing down. The elevated blood pressure could be felt. He didn't need one of those large machines you see in some large medical facilities to tell it was past the healthy limit.

"Don't apologize. You've done nothing wrong." She sensed his fear in his voice. He was not one to admit it, usually.

"Stay with me… for a while longer." That's what she usually would say. But… they would remain like this for a few minutes. The comforting moments helped him regain his composure. Afterwards, they would take a bath. Souji first, so when he finished and it was her turn, he could prepare breakfast. Something quick and light, as before he began, he got a call from Rise.

"Gooood morning, Senpai! Merry Christmas!" She sounded so cheery, more than usual.

"Good morning, Rise. And Merry Christmas to you too." He tried to deliver his response in his normal tone.

"So, Yosuke-senpai suggested we all should gather at Junes today!"

"Isn't it supposed to be closed? It's Christmas Day, after all."

"It's open today actually, but it's only going to stay open until 2PM. So we have time to meet up and get Nanako her present." His eyes widened the moment her name was mentioned. A flood of memories about that dream he had last night rushed him in seconds. When he said nothing, Rise would speak up, "Senpai… you still there?"

"...Nanako's…" His heartbeat would hasten from its usual tempo. "...is she… alright?" On her side, she was taken aback. That was unusual to hear him ask. He couldn't forget about what happened.

"Yes, of course she is, Senpai. We can see her tomorrow if you want!"

"Right… sorry." He shook it off faster this time.

"Hey, if you need to talk about it, I'm here for you too, you know." Her bubbly tone softened, she wondered what might have brought this question up. "Did something make you think of her?"

"Just a bad dream. Nothing to worry about." He already had Yukiko concerned… The last thing he needed was another friend. Or worse, the whole team. His tone tried to play this moment off as miniscule.

"Oh, okay." She wanted to press for more info, but it might not be the best idea. Especially over the phone. "Well, let Yukiko-senpai know about the meetup. I gotta let Naoto-kun and Kanji know about this as well." Oh, how she wished she could hug him and ask what's wrong. But she had to assume Yukiko would do that for her. Everyone was forever changed from that night. She wasn't surprised this hurts him most of all, even if all the threats have been removed.

"Right. Thank you, Rise. I mean it."

"Mhm. See you soon!" And with that, they snapped their phones shut, ending their call.

Minutes later, breakfast was being prepped as Yukiko stepped out of the bathroom, in her winter clothes but a towel still wrapped around her hair, she wanted to dry it off quickly.

"Souji-kun. I'm finished. Is breakfast ready?" She would ask, seeing him hard at work.

"Almost. Give it a few more minutes." The mood struck him to make sunny side up eggs, toast, and a couple of slices of bacon… the one who liked making that came to mind as the source of his inspiration.

"Okay!" She would sit down on the seat opposite of the direction of the kitchen as she witnessed Souji finishing up cooking, the scent of the bacon giving her an appetite. Soon, she let her hair be free of the white towel.

"Souji-kun, I heard you talking while I was finishing up. Did someone call…?"

"Oh, it was Rise. She suggested we all gather at Junes later to get Nanako her present. I assume she also wants us all to chat as well."

"Oh! We never did get her anything because of what happened… Hopefully there's still something we can get! I heard it was busy yesterday." Yeah, he definitely knew that was true.

"Yeah." He nodded as he started to plate up the bacon. The eggs are nearly cooked. He used to prefer them scrambled, but Nanako got him used to this method instead. "It definitely was busy…" The sound of toast jumping got Yukiko's attention. A moment later, he would plate up their sunny side eggs. "Here you go." He would place her plate down first before putting his.

"Ah, thank you, Souji-kun." Once he got seated, they both pushed their hands together in a prayer shape. "Thank you for the food." The two spoke the common phrase before eating food and began their meal.

Soon they would be on their way after finishing their breakfast. This was likely the last time she might spend the night at his place like this. She couldn't help but look back as they put their shoes on and make their way to Junes. She enjoyed every day of it.

When they arrived, everyone would gather, one by one. They would discuss the case being settled, Teddie confirmed he will stay for good this time, and Souji got a phone call from his uncle. Dojima stated that he and Nanako would be returning from the Hospital. The news spread and the girls decided to go bake a cake for her. The Christmas edition of Mystery Food X was now underway. Souji, however, chose to head out while everyone went shopping. He needed to get home first to welcome the two back. Yukiko would have gone, but currently she was preoccupied with the others on getting the right things for a cake. Once he bid them farewell for now, he rushed back home as fast as he could.

Eventually, he would arrive. And he was first one to make it to the Household. Half an hour of waiting and he heard the door open. The two who always greeted him home every day finally came back.

"I'm home!" Nanako buzzed as she sounded so happy to be back.

"We're back." The deep voiced, grizzled detective would follow up, behind his precious daughter.

"Welcome back." Souji greeted them as he stood up from sitting by the Kotatsu.

"Big bro!" She ran to him, being surprised to see him embrace the girl, lowering himself to hold her tight.

"I'm glad you're safe, Nanako." Dojima was at first surprised to see Souji do something like this. But considering the state of their well being, even he shouldn't take it as a shock. The past month was full of turmoil. But this only made them all stronger.

"Big bro… you're hugging me so tight-." He would loosen his embrace a bit, adjusting to her needs immediately. "Did you miss me, Big Bro?"

"Yes." No hesitation. No avoiding the topic. Just straightforward honesty. His walls were down. "I'm glad you're back home." Nanako can't remember much. But she remembered she felt scared. And that he, her dad, her big sis, Teddie, and everyone else was so worried for her.

"I'm home now, Big Bro. You won't be lonely anymore!" She said with such an optimistic tone. The Fool would let her go, despite not wanting to.

"Right. We're all together again." He would stand up and see his Uncle, who was just enjoying the sight before him. "Sorry about that."

"Nah, don't sweat it. I should apologize for leaving you here to fend for yourself." His hand scratched the back of his head, his other hand tossing his blazer to the table. "Anything happen while we were gone?"

"...No, not really." He didn't want to mention Yukiko's stay. It probably would make Nanako sad. And Dojima… might assume some things best left unsaid... Although they did get that Kotatsu."But I didn't feel alone."

"'Cause you had everyone, right? That's good. Speaking of, weren't they going to be here? I heard them while on the phone, so I was expecting company."

"Yeah, they'll be here soon. They're gathering ingredients to bake a cake.

"A cake? Wow, that's… really nice of them."

"Yeah, it sure is. I wouldn't want it any other way." He's made some great friends. No, great is not a strong enough word to describe them. But it's all he can think of.

Hero: So I totally meant to put that nightmare sequence in the last chapter, but forgot because of how much I wanted to upload said chapter ASAP. My bad. Anyway, I finished the outline for this fic. We're looking at about 46-47 chapters total. May change, but we're looking at that for the ballpark of this length. Not even close to the ending though, so we got a lot of work to do still! And I'm also hard at work getting the outline for the sequel fic charted out if I do it. It'll span a few years in story length. But you all can find out more about that later. In terms of edits to past chapters, I will be tweaking chapter 10. I realized now that Souji/Yu is from Tokyo. At least, that's where they were in their first year of high school. And the OC I introduced for that chapter, Yoshida said he too was from Kyoto. That will be changed soon after this chapter goes up as to fit the main canon narrative in game. I know, this is a fic, but I still want to keep some ties to the canon of the official release. I will also rewrite some stuff in Chapter 1, as it to make it feel more presentable and up to my current standard of writing. With all that said, thanks to everyone for the support and feel free to share your thoughts in a review! Next time, we got some filler, and... an old character is about to make an appearance.