(Takes place in my Chase The Truth canon, during the story. You can see where pretty easily.)

Begin!

~Normal POV

12/24 - Saturday

When Kanji got to school today, he had one thing on his mind, and it most definitely wasn't schoolwork.

The one thing on his mind was asking Naoto to have dinner with him tonight for Christmas. Some would see this as a simple task, but to him it was anything but. After the team had managed to catch a serial killer, and dispel the deadly fog covering the town, things had been peaceful. The case was solved. And that should mean Naoto would be free tonight. Kanji knew he'd had feelings for her for quite some time, but with how the case kept getting the way, he thought it best to wait before acting on them. A wise decision, according to Yu. He thought Naoto would appreciate the gesture.

That didn't mean Kanji wasn't still terribly nervous about it. It was before school started, and that meant he had just enough time to do this. He didn't want to do it in front of all their friends at lunchtime, (that would be way more embarrassing) so going to her classroom was the better idea. He walked in and found Naoto sitting at her desk reading one of those books she likes so much. He wondered what they were like… maybe he could ask sometime. But nevermind that now. Kanji took a calming breath and approached her desk.

"Hey, Naoto…"

Naoto looked up from her book and smiled at him, "Good morning, Kanji."

Kanji blushed. "Uh… I got something to ask you."

She marked her page and set aside her book. "What is it?"

"So- So I was thinking… If you aren't busy tonight- do you wanna maybe go to Aiya's with m-me? I got a… present for you." He couldn't help avoiding eye contact to try to get the words out. Speaking was difficult with those big pretty eyes looking up at him.

Naoto looked a little surprised to hear this but kept smiling. "Sure, I'd like that."

He snapped his gaze back to her in shock. "Wha- really?"

"Yes, I don't have any special plans at home. I'd be happy to join you instead."

Kanji grinned, "A-Awesome!"

The early bell rang, so the two quickly picked a time to meet up later before Kanji had to go to his own classroom.

~...

Kanji waited patiently outside Aiya's. Naoto texted him after school let out saying that she had to stop somewhere first, but he wasn't worried. She wasn't the type to stand someone up for an outing. He had a gift bag in his hand that contained Naoto's Christmas present. (His house was right across the street, so picking it up was no problem.) He wondered if she'd like it. He spent the better part of a week working on it, in his spare time. Usually his knitting took no time at all, even if it's a big project, but this gift was for her… Thus, it had to be both perfect, and nerve-wracking to think about. And that made him take longer.

It wasn't like he'd never made her something before, but that didn't help his nerves.

"Hello, Kanji."

Kanji jumped a little and turned to see that Naoto had arrived. She had a bag on her shoulder. He must have been more distracted than he thought since he didn't even hear her coming… Or maybe she's more stealthy than she looks. That's probably a good trait for a detective to have, right?

"Hey! Ready to eat?"

"Very much so," Naoto answered, smiling.

Aiya's was open on Christmas Eve, one of the few places that was, but it was usually not crowded. Tonight was no exception. When they went in, they saw only two tables were occupied. They took the one by the window. The owner's daughter took their orders and the two were left to their conversation.

"I apologize for being a bit late. I had business at the police station," Naoto said.

Kanji gave her a concerned look. "They're not mad at ya or anything, right?"

"Not at all. They've been quite nice to me," She explained, "I was called in to clear up some details regarding Adachi-san's case."

"Oh. Did you see him?"

"I didn't need to. He's been detained for the last few days. I doubt there will be any worry about him confessing."

Kanji smiled, and the two settled into talking about more pleasant matters. It sounded like everyone was busy tonight for one reason or another. Naoto explained that she ran into Rise, who was spending the evening with Yu. (Much to no one's surprise.) Chie was spending Christmas with her family. And Yukiko had to work at the inn tonight.

"Yosuke and Teddie tried asking me if I wanted to go over to their house after they get off work, but I said no," Kanji said.

"Oh? Why is that?"

"Eh, they said they were gonna play some games and eat junk food all night." He chuckled, "Didn't sound like I would miss anything."

"Besides, I'd rather be here with you…" He added, internally. His heart rate sped up at the mere thought of it.

He couldn't believe she had said yes. This was going great! It was still always nerve-wracking being around her, but something about tonight felt kinda comfortable. Perhaps it was the holiday atmosphere. Or maybe it was because things were safe in Inaba again. Either way, she seemed to be enjoying this, so why question it?

"Ha, yes, I'd also have a hard time having fun with Teddie on a sugar rush around," Naoto replied, smiling.

It was much nicer to be here instead, she thought. She had been expecting to spend the night at home reading or finding other things to occupy her time. But no, being out here with Kanji was better. She got a warm feeling knowing that he would rather be with her tonight. Maybe someday she'd be able to tell him about her feelings, but she wasn't mentally prepared right now. She cursed her lack of experience in this situation… She chose to simply enjoy this outing without worrying about what it meant.

Even if the two shared the same thought that they hoped it counted as a date.

By this point, their food arrived, so they started eating. Naoto asked him if the textile shop was doing well. Kanji said it was going great. The plush dolls he had been making for the past few months have been very popular with the neighborhood kids. He seemed a little sheepish over admitting it, but was definitely more confident than he used to be; when it came to showing off his creations.

"I've considered making some special dolls for everyone," He mused aloud. "Maybe try replicating everyone's Personas."

Naoto looked intrigued. "Hm. That would be very thoughtful. I wouldn't mind seeing how it turns out."

Kanji smiled, "Yours would be easy because-" He paused and blushed.

"Because she's tiny and cute, but I can't say that! Saying the word 'tiny' in relation to Naoto would not end well!"

Fortunately, she didn't seem to catch on. "I imagine mine would be easiest to replicate. There aren't as many intricate details to get down. It would be no trouble for someone with your skill."

He felt his face get hotter. "Th-Thanks…! Um… What have you been up to?"

"Mostly relaxing and reading. It's what I usually do when I finish a big case."

"What are ya reading?"

Naoto showed him the book from her bag. It had a title he couldn't pronounce, except the word "Christmas," but the cover art was interesting. It was a snowy yard with lots of bloody footprints in the snow. It was probably one of her detective stories.

"What's it about?"

"An old businessman is holding a family Christmas party at his manor, but during the night he is found stabbed in his room. So a famous detective is asked to take on the case. It's very good."

Kanji figured he should take her word for it. It didn't sound too happy for a Christmas story, but maybe there was more to it than she was telling him to keep from spoiling it. They finished their meals, but didn't feel like leaving just yet. Seeing that this might be a good time, he decided to give her his special present.

"Uh, so…" He picked up his gift bag and handed it to her. "H-Here, merry Christmas, Naoto…"

Naoto's eyes lit up and she smiled brightly. She set the bag on her lap and opened it up. Inside was a long, neatly folded up scarf. It was a shade of blue that matched her hat, and was very soft.

"Thank you, Kanji," She said, warmly.

"Well- I noticed you never wear one, so I thought maybe you didn't have one…"

Naoto blushed a little. "I haven't replaced my old one yet. It got torn while I was working on a case once. But that only makes this gift all the better."

"I thought about making you a pair of gloves to match, but it'd be kinda easy to figure out your gift if I asked you to let me measure your hands," Kanji said, smiling sheepishly.

Naoto laughed. "Yes it would." She reached into her own bag, pulled out a present wrapped in purple paper, and handed it to him. "This is for you. Merry Christmas."

Kanji eagerly opened the gift. It was a book of knitting patterns.

"I hope it's not one you already have. This is my first Christmas with many people to buy for, so I wanted to try finding something that would suit your interests…" Naoto said, looking nervous.

He smiled. She was really cute when she was nervous. "Nah, it's awesome. Thank you!"

She had been worried about buying something for him the most. It was relieving to know that he liked it. After a short time talking about their gift buying experiences, (according to Naoto, Rise was the hardest to buy for, because most things she liked weren't to Naoto's taste) the two decided to leave. Kanji insisted on paying for the meal, and he shot down any objection from Naoto saying, "it's Christmas." Naoto sighed and let him. She wasn't going to turn down a little free food, even if she was perfectly capable of paying for her half at least.

She took out her new scarf and wrapped it around her neck before they went outside. It was very warm and comfy. She loved it already. Naoto normally hated the cold, so anything that helped her avoid it was a blessing. While she fiddled with getting it in a comfortable position, Kanji was watching her from the side.

"Damn… it looks even cuter on her than I thought it would!" He thought.

"Kanji…?"

He snapped out of his staring and quickly looked away.

Naoto chuckled. "Thank you for treating me to dinner. It was very nice."

"It's no problem…"

But there was another problem. What to do now? It's not like they had any other plans, besides the big party at Yu's house tomorrow. Should he just walk her home and end it there? Nothing else was gonna be open much longer, so going somewhere else wasn't an option. Maybe he should take her home- her grandpa might worry. Actually, did he even know she was out with a boy right now? Wait- Naoto didn't seem like the type to lie about her whereabouts.

"Uh, do you have to head home soon," He asked.

"Not at all. Grandpa said I can stay out as late as I want, given that it's a holiday, and the case is over. If there's anything else you'd like to do together, I'd be happy to."

"Oh cool- yeah I don't have to either. Mom's not even home right now. She's out at her friend's house."

Now that he thought of it, he could ask if she wanted to come to his house for a movie or something. But would that be too much? They weren't a couple; would it be uncomfortable for her? Unfortunately, Kanji had a habit of saying things without thinking when around Naoto and-

"We could watch a movie at my place?"

Naoto blinked in surprise. Kanji wanted to smack himself. Was it really so hard to think before you speak?! He started to panic that he'd overstepped a boundary.

Her face looked a bit pink, probably from standing out in the cold. "S-Sure, if you want to."

It took Kanji a moment to register that she'd said yes. But once it had processed in his brain, he agreed immediately.

He invited her into his house. She'd only seen the shop part, so it was new to see the back of the shop where the normal living room was. The bedrooms must be upstairs. Kanji knew better than to push his luck by suggesting they go to his room. That'd be way too far. So they settled in to watch some movies on the couch instead. He let Naoto pick them out from what was available.

They ended up watching two movies. Both were pretty good, but honestly they didn't focus much on that aspect. Mostly it was just nice to be here. To be able to relax and spend a nice Christmas Eve with someone they cared for very much, even if they were both too afraid to say so just yet. Kanji even admitted later that it helped him feel more calm around Naoto, and made it somewhat easier to ask to spend time with her afterwards.

After he walked her home, (at his insistence, even though she didn't seem to protest much) he kept thinking about how much he wanted to tell her. He figured he'd get his chance when it happened. Hopefully soon. Well, whenever the chance would come, he'd try to be ready. He still got to spend the evening with Naoto, and that alone was worth the courage it took to ask.

Now he just had to deal with their friends teasing him about it at the party tomorrow.

~The End!

Merry Christmas, if you celebrate it! Hope you enjoyed this, and thank you for reading! :)