Ello Ladies and gents. So, how do you know when it's finals session? When none of the stories I read have been updated! Or mine either, I suppose. I very big thank you for ishi8 for being an awesome beta reader this round. Thanks a lot. Anyways, this chapters is a long one, so hope you enjoy it.

Step Eight: Consideration Towards Differing Heights

I wish I could say that going to the movies had turned out to be everything I had wanted and everything I had hoped to accomplish with Kanji. Unfortunately, the fact of the matter is, the movie we went to go watch turned out to be a fairly popular film, so much in fact, that the theater was completely packed. It was crowded, loud, and it seemed every disrespectful individual who didn't understand the concept of 'going to the movies' was there. People spoke on their phones, texted, or spoke amongst themselves. We hadn't seen the entire film. About an hour and twenty minutes into the film, Kanji had grown annoyed enough that he had actually stood up and shouted at a group of teens sitting behind us.

We got kicked out, rather, Kanji got kicked out and I had followed suit since I felt it was wrong that he was kicked out while everyone else was allowed to stay. I also didn't wish to watch the movie alone nor did I wish to allow Kanji sit outside and wait for the film to be over until I left. When I left the theater to get into the lobby, I decided that I would never go to another popular movie again, no matter the circumstances.

"It's raining." My powers of observation have always been astounding. Really…

"Uh… it's pourin' actually."

Yes well, it was raining rather hard. I recalled that I had checked the weather earlier that morning before meeting up with Rise and the weather was supposed to be party cloudy all day. Not… this. "Although it may be a fruitless question, I do not suppose you have an umbrella with you…"

"Nope."

I blew a tuft of hair out of my face as I stared outside the exit. I don't suppose we could simply wait in the lobby until the rain let up either. It was also doubtful that Rise was around either to give me my things back. Likely, she had left Okina once the rain started. She had all my things too. Wallet, phone, and decent clothing. Right now, I was stuck in the black demon of a dress, something that would not offer much protection from the rain.

A flash of lighting filled the sky and Kanji gave a low whistle in response. "Looks like it's gonna be a big one tonight. Think we should wait here for now?"

"No… The staff likely wishes us to leave as soon as possible." Well, him, but I wasn't going to point fingers. It's not his fault that a bunch of snotty teenagers were filling the theater today.

"Uh.. maybe I could go find a place that sells umbrellas and get one while you wait here?"

The thought was greatly appreciated, really, but I shook my head regardless. "No, I already require a train ticket back to Inaba. Moreover, due to the storm, I'll require a fare for a bus so I don't end up walking in here. The station isn't terribly far, we'll have to walk quickly."

"You sure? It's rainin' pretty hard."

No. "Yes." To display my willingness to disregard the rain entirely, I stepped forth out into the rain to lead the way. It wasn't the first time that I had walked in the rain without an umbrella. It was the first time I've walked in the rain in a dress and without my hat.

The trip from the theater to the train station had been completed in silence. Even though we had traveled as quickly as possible without running, it didn't save me from getting soaked. I could feel my hair matted to my head, and my dress sticking to my body like a second skin. Due to my current attire and lack of… bindings, it made me incredibly self-conscious. I tried to act like it didn't bother me and tried to ignore the coldness despite the goose bumps forming on my arms and legs. I tried to pretend I was in my normal attire and that the world would disregard me while I sat on a bench and waited for Kanji to arrive with the tickets for the train.

When he arrived, he took a seat next to me, and if my current state bothered him (and it obviously did because he was making an obvious attempt to not stare or look at me in general), he didn't say anything. He had offered my ticket but thought better of it when he remembered that I currently didn't have pockets.

I glanced up at the monitor that displayed the arrival times for trains. Ours was already on a ten-minute delay. "Uh, you cold?"

Yes. "No, I'm fine."

"Kay."

Of course, now that he brought it up, it reminded me that I was cold. Despite the fact that I tried to ignore the uncomfortable coldness, I found myself subconsciously wrapping my arms around myself in an attempt to get warmer.

"I'll be back." Kanji announced before standing up and walking away. I merely nodded in response, and I kept my eyes glued to the monitor to ensure we wouldn't miss the train. Our train's schedule jumped up to a twenty-minute delay, much to my annoyance. It was getting late as well. The train ride back to Inaba normally takes about an hour. The train should be arriving around 9:15pm. With a quick calculation, I surmised that I would be getting back to my grandfather's estate close to 11:00pm if there will be no further delay.

The station wasn't as lively as I am accustomed to seeing it. Likely, most people who had traveled to Okina by train had already headed out to beat the storm. Had Rise not taken my phone as well, all this trouble would have been avoided. I would have known about the storm, and I would have been able to suggest heading back to Inaba rather than seeing the movie. The reasons to inflict personal harm up Kujikawa were stacking up.

"Here.." A paper cup was shoved to my face. I stared at the thing for a long moment before my hands unclenched from my arms to reach up and grab the offered drink. Immediately, I noted that whatever was inside the cup was extremely hot because my hands instantly began soak up the heat from it.

"Thank you, Kanji-kun." I thought it might probably be tea or coffee. I raised it to my lips and took a sip of the drink. My initial assumption was proven false. It was neither tea nor coffee, and it turned out to be apple juice or cider…I believe.

"S'not that good. Ain't any good place 'round the station. There was coffee, but I don't like that stuff. Heard caffeine stunts your growth or somethin' like that." I gave him a perplexed look. Was he really worried about such a myth? He towered over most people. If there is someone who should be concerned about growth, it would have to be me. "Do y'drink lot've coffee?"

"Yes."

"Ah, bet that's why you're so short then."

I brushed the comment aside. I had been called short a lot and I am used to it. "Many of our family members are short. It's hereditary."

"Nah. My ma is pretty short."

"You likely gained your height from your father."

He fell silent after that, and I wondered if I shouldn't have said anything at all. I am not certain as to how uncomfortable Kanji feels about the topic of his father or anyone asking about the former patriarch to begin with. It was uncharted waters for me, and I don't believe any of our mutual friends have ever ventured in that topic area before. I felt a little bit guilty that I hadn't thought about my comment before it left my mouth.

"So… is the Shirogane line a buncha midgets then?" Or he had been thinking about something else entirely..,

"I am not a midget." He must have gotten the reaction he was looking for because he grinned at it. I might have been a bit snappish with my response but the situation is entirely against me. We're both soaking wet, it's cold, it's late, and I'm out of my comfort zone. Finally the train arrived at approximately 9:27, entirely far too late for my liking. Outside of the station, the sound of the storm was getting louder as thunder rumbled.

We stepped onto the train and found that aside from ourselves, there were only two separate passengers. One looked as though he were likely homeless if I'm to go on appearances. But due to the fact that riding the train costs money to ride, I surmised that he's likely just a bum. The other person is a woman, nursing her face with fresh makeup. Due to the fresh markings on her neck and the wedding ring she's wearing, I surmised she had gone out for extracurricular activities that don't involve her husband.

I took a seat near the door, and I folded my hands into my lap. The sudden absence of the hot beverage is noticeable, but it would not be wise to bring a hot open drink on a moving train. Kanji opted to stand in front of me, which made me feel even shorter then normal. Staring straight out in front of me would be staring at his stomach. To look at his face, I have to crane my head back. It's uncomfortable but not unusual. When I'm standing, my head can only reach up to his shoulders. And if I truly wanted to look at him straight on, I would still have to look up even as I try to stand 'tall'.

This line of thinking presented a rather odd scenario in my mind. Although thinking more on it, it is possible and it isn't as odd as I felt it was. I am thinking about our height differences, and I am trying to get into a relationship with him, so thinking about what it would be like to kiss him is not entirely unrelated. Would it be uncomfortable? Aside from the obvious embarrassment of kissing him for the first time, it would likely give both of us sore necks if the kiss is prolonged for too long. Would it be beneficial to kiss him when there is something for me to stand on to help with the height problem?

"Yo." I was broke from my thoughts and raised a brow at him, "Sup? Y'got that look 'bout you."

I felt my head tilt to the side slightly. I don't know what he's talking about, "Look?"

"Yeah. Uh… like ya tryin' to solve a case or sumthin'. Ya had the look almost throughout the entire investigation."

"I… did not know I had a look."

"Yep, so what ya thinkin' 'bout?"

"Nothing."

"Didn't look like nuthin'. Looked like sumthin'. Ya were starring pretty intensely at my face a minute ago."

Had I? "Very well. I was wondering if you had ever been kissed before."

His sudden discomfort from my question is obvious. He shifted his weight onto one foot, and tried to be discreet with his glance around to ensure no one was listening to our conversation. I lifted up a single brow and continued to wait for his response. Was the question really so uncomfortable that the discussion between the two of us require utmost secrecy? From what I gathered in the school halls, this sort of question is a topic heavily pursued on campus.

"Uh… does Teddie count?" He looked embarrassed to have to even ask.

I recall playing the 'Kings Game' with the group before I was part of the team. I had participated in order to find out information regarding the group. Yukiko-senpai had spilled the beans and told me everything, even though I didn't believe her at the time. Teddie had to 'smooch' Kanji in one of the rounds.

"If you want it to, I suppose…"

"N-no. I don't. And uh… no."

"Very well." I wasn't surprised by his answer. Actually, I probably would have gathered as much information on my own. Almost everyone in the school had some sort of illusion pulled over their heads that made Kanji out to be some rebellious teen in some sort of gang. They don't know very much about him or who he is. It's unfortunate really, because Kanji is the one who is responsible for leading them to believe such things. He may act rough around the edges but he really is a nice and caring individual. He just has a problem with keeping his temper in check.

"So uh why'd—" Whatever Kanji was about to ask died from his lips the moment the train jerked to a stop and the cabin lights went out. The emergency lights kicked on a second later. It seems our train has lost power—likely due to the storm. Kanji cursed under his breath, and I simply sat there.

With the power gone, the heating in the cabin also vanished. In fifteen minutes, I was beginning to feel the chill. I will likely be sick tomorrow from spending so much time in the rain if I don't die from hypothermia first. Not that the latter is really all that probable, I'm just feeling miserable. I wrapped my arms around my shoulders to try and maintain some heat in my body. Not that it helped before.

"Y'cold?"

Yes. "…."

"Want my sweater?"

"No." It wouldn't of any help if I try to get warm by putting on an equally soaked sweater.

"Anything I can do?"

"Not likely."

I could see the gears spinning in Kanji's mind. He was thinking of what to do, and then the moment he seemed to get an idea was obvious. People have a tendency to stare off for long moments when they are trying to solve or figure out something. When they finally connect back to the outside world, they blink a lot and turn their gaze to the object of their puzzle. In this case, Kanji was looking right at me. I granted him a questioning lift of my brow as my silent question of what he was planning. He had that look of hesitation about him before he put his plan into action. He stepped forward and took the seat next to me before throwing one of his large arms over my shoulders.

My gaze dropped to the floor and Kanji's turned to the other side of the cabin. I remained hunched forward with my hands around my shoulders in an attempt to keep myself warm. After a few moments, I began to notice that Kanji's idea wasn't so far off base. I had assumed that it wouldn't have amounted to much help due to the fact that he had been caught out in the rain too. But I could feel the warmth of his arm seep through his sleeve and across my upper back and bare arms. This boy is like a human furnace it seems. Something else bothered me though. I brushed my hand on the sleeve of his sweater then turned toward him completely. The movement caught his attention because he looked down at me. I was too focused to really pay much attention to him. Something isn't right about the sweater. I reached out with a hand and pressed it fully on his chest. I could feel the muscle underneath but more importantly I could feel how dry the sweater is.

"Why is your sweater dry?" This perplexed me to no end. How did it dry so quickly? Did Kanji give off enough warmth that he could dry his clothes with his own body heat within an hour?

"Uh… when I got those drinks, I went to the bathroom and wrung it out. Then stuck it under one of them hair dryer hand thingies in the bathroom to dry it off."

Hair dryer hand thingies? "You mean a hand dryer?"

"I s'pose that's what it's called."

That… was actually an ingenious idea. Had I thought about it at the time I… still wouldn't have done it. I'm wearing a dress after all, without extra layers. To do such a thing would require stripping down completely in a public restroom. Not exactly something I plan on doing in my lifetime unless it's absolutely vital.

He shifted under my hand and I realized that I still hadn't removed it from his chest. I yanked my hand back, and fought back the blush that was threatening to appear on my face. His chest had been warmer than his arm. After a second of thinking about it, I decided I was acting foolish about this whole thing, especially if I'm supposed to be trying to date this boy. Here I am, afraid to take opportunities like these in a stride. I threw caution to the wind and twisted in my seat enough that I could press most of my upper-half onto him, my freezing face into his chest, and more importantly my freezing nose.

"N-Naoto! What the hell?" His arms immediately lifted up in the air and hung there as if he didn't know what to do with them. Clearly, I caught him off guard, which is not surprising because I caught myself off guard too for actually doing such an act. I'm not very much on physical contact with people but when the situation calls for it, and in this case it really does, I'll brush aside my grievances and do it.

"I'm cold." I answered flatly into his chest. I'm not sure if he could understand that very well though. I tucked my arms between our bodies so they would also soak up whatever heat his body was offering. Had I been wearing shorts instead of a dress, I likely would have just curled up in a ball in his lap, but I'm not about to flash one of two passengers that were on the train.

"Well duh. B-but still… what the hell?"

"Kanji?"

"What?" He was being a bit snappish now. Apparently he doesn't take embarrassment too well. It's actually supposed to be easy for him to deal with it. He's not the one going completely against persona here.

I turned my head slightly so I wasn't talking straight into his chest, "I'm going to speak frankly for a moment."

"Uh… kay."

"Shut up and put your arms around me." I hid my face once more, this time because it was hot and needed to be hidden.

The next five minutes were interesting. He ended up following command. His arms dropped around me and enveloped me in warmth, but his hands remained bent at the wrist so he technically didn't lay a hand on me. I couldn't decipher if my discomfort was due to my position, to going through with something so childishly embarrassing, or because he refused to technically touch me.

"So uh… why'd you ask that anyway?" Initial embarrassment of the situation must have dissipated from Kanji if he was trying to have a conversation.

"Ask what?"

"…If I'd ever been kissed before."

Oh. "You're tall. Everyone else in school is short. I assumed that if you were to kiss anyone, it would be a strain on your neck because you'd have to bend so much."

"...You were thinkin' about me kissin' someone because I'm tall?"

"You called me a 'midget'. Then I began to think about the school and recall almost all the girls in our class and upper class are not much taller then me. Some are even shorter."

"So… wait… hmm…" He seemed to decide it was better not to ask. But being a detective, such things only make me curious.

I turned my head slightly and glanced up at him. My arms and face were considerably warm not but I was afraid that if I'd move, I'd end up becoming cold again and… I just didn't want to move. "What is it?"

Kanji found the ceiling of the cabin rather interesting, and even with the low emergency lighting, I could tell he was blushing for some reason. Actually, it's possible he is still blushing due to the fact that I'm practically sitting on his lap. My embarrassment died off a couple of minutes ago. I adapt and adjust to situations rather quickly. "So… were you thinkin' bout me kissing some random short girl or…" His questioned trailed off, but it was obvious where he was going with it.

Me. "It's not important." I answered safely before hiding my face once more. Kanji was shifting underneath me again. I pulled my arms out from between us and dropped one hand on his lap or what I had suspected would have been his lap. But when it turned out to be something else entirely, and I could feel something that wasn't a lap, I practically bolted right out of the seat and onto my feet. My back was turned to him and my hands raised quickly to my face.

The train bolted to life in that moment. I was trying to keep my head from exploding with embarrassment over the fact that I had just… No. I need to leave this trail of thought. These thoughts are not befitting nor is the fact that Kanji… he's a boy… human. It happens. And I was practically on top of him all this time and the topic of kissing and… No. Rationalize- this was a good thing. That meant there's attraction towards me from him. Or attraction to the idea of kissing me. Or attraction to me being practically on top of him for nearly ten minutes. These are all good things, right?

Right. Rationalized.

10:52pm and the train finally arrived in Inaba station. Neither one of us spoke of the event nor moved from our designated areas that we individually assigned ourselves silently until it was time to get off the train.

"Come on." Kanji stated as he tried to take the lead, one problem with that though.

"My grandfather's estate is the other way."

"I know that. An' my place is this way, and closer."

"Then we should say goodnight here."

"Look, it's still raining. My place is close. Yours is far. And it's late. I ain't gonna let you walk all the way to your place alone dressed like… that. Ain't safe."

"I can take care of myself."

"Jus' shaddup and come with me." He rolled his eyes. Against my better judgment I agreed and we headed back to his place.

His mother was apparently in bed by the time we stumbled in from the rain. It appeared that the storm that had hit Okina had made its way to Inaba. In other words, the storm followed us home. Both of us are cold and soaked once more, and Kanji didn't have his handy dandy 'hair dryer hand thingies' to get his clothes dry. Fortunately for him, he can change since we're at his place.

I followed him into the kitchen, and after a few experimental flips of the light switch, we discovered that the power is out. When I asked to use his cellphone so that I could call my grandfather, we discovered his cellphone's battery died.

"Want some hot chocolate?"

"Yes." I just wanted anything hot at the moment. I wondered for a moment how he was going to make hot chocolate with no electricity. He pulled out a camping set from the bottom cupboard, and filled a small pot with some milk. A lot of people make hot chocolate with just water, or with a mixture of water and milk. When I make it, I make it with just milk. It's nice to see that Kanji has similar preferences.

"I'mma go change." He announced before disappearing from the kitchen. I stood near the heating pot to ensure it wouldn't boil over and because it was giving off heat. The contraption has a small tank on it, most likely filled with propane. It really is a handy set to keep around the house in case of a blackout. I'll have to remember about it and invest in one for myself, just in case.

"Here." I turned around to face Kanji. He was holding out a towel and a change of clothes. "I ain't got much ya'd fit into, but these sweats got a drawstring and well… jus' have to deal with an oversized sweater." Normally, I would decline such an offer but I've been feeling miserable about wearing the dress since I put it on. Given the fact that it's completely soaked and it melds to my body like a second skin, I'm more than grateful to have something dry and baggy to wear.

"Thank you." He gives me the directions to the bathroom before putting his attention on our hot chocolate.

The problem with the pants isn't that they are baggy on me. The problem is that the legs in the sweat pants are incredibly long. I had to roll them up onto my ankles to save me from a broken neck that I'd likely get later for wearing such long pants. The sweater, for my form, is huge. The opening for the head is large enough for my head and a shoulder to fit through. After several failed attempts to find a happy medium, I gave up on it. It's still covering a lot more than the dress does, and it's dry and warm. The sleeves fall pass my hands, completely covering them but I opt to leave them as is. It keeps my hands warm, so I find no reason to fix it.

With the use of the towel, I was able to somewhat dry my hair, so it was no longer matted to my head. Without a brush though, I couldn't help the disarray my toweling did to my hair. The only thing I could do was pat at it with my sleeve-covered hands. I gathered the dress and made my way back down to the kitchen.

Kanji was still in front of his makeshift. For the lack of better place for my belongings that are wrapped inside the towel, I just placed them on the kitchen table. I left my shoes and socks on the floor though. "Jus' bout done." he said without turning around. I gave a nod even though he wouldn't see it. I stepped up behind him as he began pouring the hot milk into a pair of mugs. He finished pouring the hot chocolate before turning around to hand me a mug. He lifted an amused brow at me when he saw my attire or maybe because I had my hands held up. I note that there's still a considerable amount of sleeve dangling down pass my hands.

If he had a comment, he kept it to himself and just silently handed me the hot chocolate. I made my way to the kitchen table and nursed the hot beverage in my hands. The heat coming from the mug seeped through my sleeves. Kanji remained at the counter as he mindlessly stirred his drink. The continuous mindless action suggests that he has something on his mind.

"I uh… Rise told me sumthin."

"Oh?" I don't know where he's going with this.

"Like… few months ago. I didn't really believe her at the time but… I dunno… she was helpin' me out with a problem I had."

"Were you in trouble? Is there something I can do?"

"No… S'not like that. It was… uh… personal thing."

"Oh. Do you wish to speak about it?"

"Not sure. It's sorta 'bout what she told me an' I'm not sure if I want to take risks for my stupid shit."

"What did she tell you? Perhaps I can help."

"What do you think she told me?"

I stared at him in response. What kind of question was that? What was I supposed to say to that? How am I supposed to know what kind of discussion they had a few months ago? I tried to trace my memories back to a few months ago and recall anything peculiar that had been going on. It was rather normal, just like it was now. Kanji had been a bit busier than normal but that was because he was preparing the dolls that he would use to visit the hospital with. Rise hadn't been doing much. Chie and Yosuke were still single. I didn't have any pressing matters or cases going on at the time. The only thing different was that I had been starting to take more notice into Kanji and began… wait…

"What did she tell you?" This time, the same question I asked before came out more forceful, like I'm interrogating a suspect. I hopped out of the chair, and made my way towards him.

"Nothin'."

That's not the answer I was looking for. "It's not 'nothin'." I purposely mimicked his poor grammar, "It's something. What did she tell you? What problem were you having that she would be able to help you with?"

"She…she knew I was interested in somebody." Yes. He was. I knew he was interested in somebody too. Heck, everyone knew he was interested in somebody. Everyone, including me, knew he was interested in me. Why it should come as such a surprise for him that Rise would know is beyond me. There had been multiple occasions in the past that members of our team would make jokes about it before I was none the wiser.

"And?" There must be more to it than that.

"And… she said 'Kanji, there's something you have to understand here. She's not your typical girl, and you're not the typical guy. If you want it to work out, you're going to have to play the role of the girl on this one. Make her pursue you because that's the only way anything will ever happen.' I thought it was a load of bullshit at the time but uh… I went along with it anyway. S'not like I had anything to lose."

I felt my head spin for a moment as I tried to connect the pieces together. Rise had clearly intervened behind my back. I wouldn't play her game voluntarily, but she found another way to get me involved. It was backhanded. She had gone to Kanji and convinced him to play her game. It was… true that Kanji and myself break the norms of each of our genders. I just never thought that… had I been wrong about allowing Kanji try and be the stereotypical male in the pursuit of a relationship? Have I been looking at this as entirely overly complicated? Should I have just gone up to him since day one and told him I was interested in him?

I lowered my head stared at his feet. "So why are you telling me this?" I had a fairly good idea why. It doesn't change the fact that I was feeling overly anxious, nervous, and small without my shoes.

I watched as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other as he took a moment to decide how to answer. "Cause… You was thinkin' bout me kissing you."

I made a sound. It may have been a laugh, though I'm not entirely positive if it could pass as one. I felt the familiar heat rise into my face. "Oh." I didn't deny it. I didn't think he'd have taken my answer back on the train as that. I just didn't feel like answering it at the time. I never would have thought that such a question would have been so vital to getting what I wanted. "So now what?"

My question made him uncomfortable. The feeling in the air that something needs to be brought out into the open, or something to be done was what made the atmosphere so heavy. "So… I wanted to… t-t-test your theory on the matter."

Bold. He was being bold. He was hardly ever bold. Not when it came to personal stuff, but he was trying even if he was a stuttering mess of nerves. I have to give him credit for that. I glanced up at him as I chewed on my bottom lip for a moment. He wanted to try kissing me. He was asking for permission. Do people kiss before they even have their first date? Before they are officially a couple? Did tonight count as a date between the two of us? Maybe if I thought of it like that, it would be more acceptable to allow him to try kissing me.

"O-okay." I felt nervous. I placed one hand awkwardly on it's opposite shoulder and stood there. I had never kissed anyone before, so I didn't even know how to go about going through the motions. I've seen people kiss and I have read about kissing (among other things), but what does one actually do?

I lifted my head up, and Kanji leaned down. I didn't even have my shoes on so he had to lean down even further than he would have. He closed his eyes as he drew closer to me, and I took that as a hint to follow suit. And then we… smacked our foreheads together. It wasn't surprising really. It was a horrible angle for him to bend. It could have been worse though. For example, he could have collided his forehead into my nose. That would have hurt. At least he had been going slow enough that it didn't necessarily hurt. It was just, not what either of us had been expecting.

"Oops." Was the intelligent response I gave as I rubbed at my forehead. A horrible sound left my lips after that. Something I refused to believe to have come from me. It was the girliest giggle I have ever produced. I clamped my mouth shut in mid giggle, and I felt my face heat up once more. I have a problem with being overly feminine. It's against my nature. It was a part of me that I never fully accepted. I accepted the fact that I'm still a child in society's standards, Souji-senpai helped me with that, but he didn't help me accept that I'm still a girl. Maybe that was something I should have worked on.

"Fuck, sorry." Kanji looked miserable as he rubbed at his own forehead. It was probably more of a blow to his pride then anything else.

"It's okay." I answered and felt a slightest twitch from the corners of my lips. "…Do you want to try again?"

He reached out with his hands, and he picked me up at the waist. I squeaked in response, as I did not expect him to do something like that. My arms had instinctively wrapped around his neck in order to keep me from falling. The next thing I realized was that I was sitting on his counter and he had his lips pressed to mine. My eyes fluttered closed just as the brief kiss ended. When he started to pull away I tightened my arms around his neck and I pulled him closer, so that I could actually reciprocate the kiss. He let out a sound of surprise as our lips smacked together once more. I decided then and there that I was okay with kissing and that I actually enjoyed it.

"Kanji!" and then his mother walked in at the most inappropriate time ever. He literally leapt three feet away from me, and if I hadn't unwrapped my arms from around him, he would have dragged me along.

"Naoto-kun?"

I bit the inside of my lip for a moment before nodding my head, "Tatsumi-san."

His mother looked positively embarrassed and uncertain as to what to say or do from there, "What….what are you two boys doing here?"

Well ma'am, as you can see from your intrusion, we were in the middle of kissing one another.

"Ma! Naoto ain't a boy. He's—she's! She's a girl, damnit."

"Oh!" She lifted a hand to her face and she looked instantly relieved over something. Probably due to the fact that she almost found out, in the strangest way possible, that her son was possibly interested in boys. Not that it was an odd thing, but parents had issues with finding out such things in such a poor fashion. "I see. I thought… I thought those rumors were just…. I'm so sorry."

"It's okay." It was oddly amusing really.

"Wait… why are you in my son's clothes?" Her eyes narrowed over at Kanji. I can only imagine what her thought was.

Mental Note: Possibly thank Rise for the best worst night ever.