Begin!

~Normal POV

There were only a couple days left before Christmas and winter break. Needless to say, Naoto was getting rather nervous about the holiday. It would be her first one with a boyfriend. And given how Rise talked, it sounded like it was normal to spend it together for a special date. Ok, that part was doable, she would like that very much.

The problem was, she honestly had no idea what to do for the occasion yet.

She pondered this to herself as she worked on making Kanji's present in her room. "What would make it any different from any other time we've hung out? Aside from exchanging presents?" That thought made her also wonder what kind of present Kanji was going to give her. She was excited to find out.

Since it was a holiday, she wanted to be sure that she made it special for them. That was all. So once she was satisfied with her present, she boxed it up and wrapped it before placing it on her dresser. An idea crossed her mind. She could ask Rise for advice again. She knew these things better than her after all. She picked up her phone and sent a text.

Naoto: [Rise, I need some advice about any ways I can make my Christmas with Kanji more special this weekend. I'm not sure what I should do for it.]

Within a minute or so, Rise sent a reply that simply said, "This should help!" Along with a link to a website, and her usual emojis to follow it up. Naoto was about to ask her to be more specific, but she got curious. She opened up her laptop and searched for it.

The site was for some popular women's magazine. She'd seen it in stores, but didn't read such things herself. This particular article was about the very topic she needed help with though. " Ideas to make the holidays with your man more fun." Naoto thought the title was a little cringey, but she gave it a look through.

It surprised her, honestly. Some of these suggestions seemed like good ideas. "Try wearing a new outfit, or just one he's never seen you wearing before. It'll make it feel special, even if it's nothing fancy." She decided that one was worth remembering. There was also one about the best time to exchange presents… Suggestions for popular holiday movies to watch together and music to set a romantic mood… She never knew these kinds of magazines could be helpful in any way. It wouldn't be enough to make her buy one in the future, but it was nice to know.

And then she reached the last suggestion and felt her heart rate spike. Her face went bright red instantly.

She quickly grabbed her phone and texted back. [Rise, do you want me to kill you!?] Her friend must have realized what was wrong because her reply seemed to understand.

Rise: [You asked for ideas. That's an idea! I didn't say you had to do it!]

Naoto frowned at the fact that this logic was right. She didn't need to do anything if she didn't want to. Maybe it wasn't worth getting too upset over. But the idea still flustered her terribly.

"Besides, I wouldn't even know how to bring that up with him… Not without melting from embarrassment first… So, we are not doing that! …Unless- Oh, stop it before you become a pervert!" She quickly pushed the thought out of her head and focused on other ideas.

"Let's see, what kind of outfit could I pick for the occasion?" She mused aloud. "We'll still have to go to school during the day, so I likely won't have time to change before I head over… I guess there's room in my bag to bring some extra clothes. I could just change in the bathroom…"

It was disappointing that most of the day would be at school. They'd only have the afternoon and evening to spend together. But that was normal for everyone, they would have to make do with the time they had. School… As Naoto thought about it, she felt an idea hit her. She went to her closet and searched through it.

"Well… it's worth a try."

She found what she was looking for. Yasogami did give her one, but she never wore it, of course. It wasn't as if she had never worn a girl's uniform in her life, she just simply hadn't done it since she was very young. That was before she dropped out of public school to help her grandpa with his cases. She spent most of her elementary and middle school life with private tutors. Looking back, it might have also contributed to having trouble finding other children to interact with, but there was nothing to be done about it now. She had many good friends now, friends and a loving boyfriend that she cared for deeply- that was all that mattered.

"Kanji might like seeing me like that… Most boys seem to find these things appealing, I've noticed."

It then occurred to her that she had never tried it on either. She should probably make sure it fit properly first…

~...

Kanji was hanging out at Junes with Yu and Yosuke. Teddie was on his shift, so he was working inside. But that was fine, the real reason Kanji had asked for this meeting was to get some advice. He knew he was going to spend Christmas with Naoto, but what could they do together? He wanted this date to be perfect for her. So these two had the most likely chance of giving him good ideas. Or at least, Yu did- Yosuke was less likely, but he could try to help.

"Do you have anything planned already?" Yu asked, to start.

"Not much…" Kanji answered. "I'm gonna get us a cake, and I have her present ready. But that's all."

Yosuke nodded. "Well, you're off to a good start."

"Yeah, you two are just gonna spend a nice night together, aren't you?" Yu asked. "What's the problem?"

Kanji didn't know how to word it. "Um… I thought maybe you could… suggest stuff for us to do? I've never spent Christmas with a girl before, so…"

"Ohhh!" Yosuke said, smirking. "I mean, if you really want to know! On Christmas, most couples like to-" He suddenly felt Yu kick his shin under the table making him wince in pain.

Kanji looked confused. "What were you gonna say?"

Yosuke glanced at Yu. Yu was giving him a disapproving look. He decided to let it go. "N-Nevermind, I forgot anyway…"

Kanji didn't look like he believed that, but accepted it. "Ok… what about you, senpai? What kinda stuff were you and Rise gonna do? Rent a movie or play games or something?"

Yu turned red for some reason. "Uh… er, that's…"

"Yeah, are you gonna tell us?" Yosuke said playfully, while nursing his shin under the table.

"Ahem… I was gonna let Rise decide." Yu lied, quickly, trying to avoid any further embarrassment.

It was unusual to see Yu get so flustered. Kanji couldn't guess what was up with that, but he figured that answer was alright. Let the lady decide, yeah that might work. He was usually down for whatever Naoto wanted to do, so it shouldn't be a problem.

"I guess I can see what she wants to do instead," He mused aloud.

"Good call," Yosuke said, "Of course, depending on what she wants, you might still want to buy-" Yu kicked him again. "OW! Ok- ok, I'll stop! Sheesh!"

"Are you guys ok? You're acting weird," Kanji asked.

"We're fine, I think Yosuke just stubbed his toe on the table leg." Yu answered, " Right, Yosuke?"

"...Right, yeah, that's it. It hurts like hell." Yosuke added, in an unconvincing tone.

"Look, the point we're trying to make is that it's your date." Yu said, smiling. "As long as you and Naoto are having fun together, it doesn't matter what you do. Even if it's a holiday."

That also sounded helpful. Kanji figured he must have been worrying too much again. He really needed to get a grip sometimes.

"Yeah, you're right… thanks, senpai!"

"No problem."

Kanji then got a call from his mom asking to come help at the shop, so he said goodbye and walked off. Once he was sure Kanji was gone, Yu glared at Yosuke.

"What?"

"You're a dumbass, that's what."

"I was just trying to help… I mean, with my employee discount, I could still get him some, just in case-"

" No." Yu said, flatly.

"So, you'd rather be an uncle sooner than you expected?"

"I said no, because if Naoto finds out you did that, it'll be your ass on the line, not mine. Are you willing to take that risk?"

Yosuke paled at the idea. "Ehhh… fair… I've seen Yamato-Takeru in a fight, I'd sooner take my chances solo-ing the Reaper."

~...

Finally, after days of waiting, Christmas Eve arrived. Naoto was nervous and excited at the same time. She had already told Kanji what time she would arrive. So when school let out, she headed straight for his house. He said he had to stop at Junes to pick something up first, so they would meet up there. That was fine. She assumed it was something for their date. It was supposed to snow a lot tonight, it'd be wiser to do it ahead of time before the weather got in the way.

She could feel the weight of the extra clothes in her bag as she walked. Along with the uniform, she packed some necessities. It had been… hinted that she was allowed to stay out as late as she wanted tonight. (For the holiday.) It was a good idea to pack properly in case she got to stay overnight. For whatever reason there may have been. Perhaps the weather would impede her ability to go home? Maybe. And tomorrow was a Sunday anyway.

"I hope he likes it…" She thought, worriedly.

She guessed she could still back out, but no. She was committed to it. And too stubborn to admit defeat. If she backed out, she'd only be disappointed in herself. That said, she was taking longer than usual to get there. Probably because she was so distracted.

~...

Upon finally reaching Kanji's house, it was early evening. Snow had started falling at a steady pace. She spotted Kanji waiting on his porch. He perked up on seeing her and greeted her with a bright smile.

"Hey, Naoto!"

"Hello, Kanji," She greeted back. "Were you waiting out here this whole time?" She didn't want him standing out in the cold that long. He might get sick.

"Nah, I just got back from Junes- they were pretty busy, ya know, with all the last minute shoppers. Luckily, I ran into Yosuke, he helped me bypass some of them. I've only been out here like a minute. Come on in." He opened the door for her.

"Thank you…"

The inside of the textile shop was much warmer than outside. It was very soothing. The two hung up their winter coats and went into the living room. It was here that Naoto realized that Mrs. Tatsumi didn't appear to be around.

"Where's your mother?"

"Oh, she just left. She got a call from the Amagi Inn. She and Yukiko's mom are old friends, and she needed help with something. I told her you were coming, but she said it was fine for us to be alone. She didn't want to bother us." Kanji said, chuckling.

"I see…"

Naoto thought it was nice that the two of them were trusted to be home alone together. The idea did make her blush though. She had been over many times, but they were never completely alone in the house before. Kanji seemed a little embarrassed by it too.

"A-Anyway, ya want me to make you some hot chocolate?"

"Oh, s-sure, i-it's pretty cold outside…" She mentally slapped herself for stuttering. "Ah- I-I'm sorry, I guess I'm nervous now… because, um, we're the only ones here…"

Kanji smiled reassuringly. "Aww, it's alright. Me too… You can wait upstairs, I'll bring it up when it's ready."

"Alright…"

Naoto hugged her bag to her side as she went up the stairs. Kanji's room looked mostly the same as ever. Despite her nerves, she smiled at the photo of the two of them on his desk. She put the same photo in her room. It was just a simple picture of them hugging. She took off her hat and set it on his dresser before putting her bag down off to the side, and getting comfortable on the floor by the table.

A short time later, Kanji came in with hot chocolate mugs for both of them. He then said he had to get something else, and left again.

Naoto was curious. "What's he up to…?" She took a sip of her hot chocolate to warm herself up.

She got her answer when Kanji returned with a tray holding a small, circular white cake. She stared in shock as he set it on the table and sat down beside her.

"Kanji…!"

"Ya like it? I didn't have enough room to bring it at the same time," He said, smiling.

She smiled back at him. "Yes, it's wonderful! Thank you."

Kanji cut some pieces for them, and the two enjoyed their cake and drinks. He got vanilla to be safe, figuring that it would pair well with the hot chocolate. He explained that he wanted to bake her one himself, but he'd been busy the past couple days, so he chose to buy one instead. Naoto said she didn't mind either way. The cake was tasty enough. And the warm, holiday atmosphere made it even better. Especially while sitting close to the one you loved. He glanced at her while smiling.

"What are you staring at?" Naoto asked.

"You."

She blushed. "W-Why?"

"Because… you look prettier today." Kanji said, sheepishly, "Uh- not that you don't always look pretty- cause you do! I just meant you look, like, extra pretty today!"

She blushed even deeper. She wanted to hide, but she had already removed her hat so she could only look away from him. "M-Must you say such things…?"

He laughed, "Of course… They're true, and-" He decided to tease her more. "Blushing like that only makes you look cuter."

"Stop it!"

"Alright, I'll stop… for now." He knew compliments embarrassed her.

He meant it though. Something about her looked even more lovely than usual. He couldn't describe it. He just felt it.

"I- I think you look rather handsome as well." Naoto said, shyly. She smiled in satisfaction from seeing him turn red in response.

They finished their cake and drinks, and Kanji took a moment to bring the dishes downstairs so they were out of the way. As he left, Naoto wondered to herself if this was a good time for presents. The article said presents came more fittingly after the meal. Hm. Yes, it sounded right to her. She got a nervous feeling in her stomach from thinking about that article again, but tried to ignore it.

Kanji came back and this time shut the door behind him. "There, now we shouldn't need much else for the night."

"I think so too," She replied, "Um… would you like to exchange gifts now?"

Kanji grinned brightly. "Sure!" He went to his desk and pulled a wrapped gift out of one of the drawers.

Naoto carefully opened her bag and grabbed her present. (Making sure he couldn't see what was inside.) Kanji sat down next to her and handed over the gift.

"You can go first."

She smiled and eagerly opened the gift. Inside the box was a neatly folded blue scarf. It matched her hat perfectly.

"Oh, thank you, Kanji!" She felt how soft it was between her fingers.

"I hope you didn't already buy a new one. It's only been done a few days now."

"No, I wanted to get a homemade one from you instead. It's perfect." Naoto handed him her small gift. "Here."

Kanji ripped open the gift. Inside was a black digital wristwatch. The screen displayed the time, but under it was a small thing that said "1m." He looked at her curiously and asked what it meant. Naoto blushed as she explained it.

"Um, I customized it for you… It has the normal functions of a digital watch, but… it can also tell you where I am…" She said, her voice rising in pitch from nerves. "I-It's just a toy though, so it only has a radius of a few meters. And- j-just so you know, my watch has a similar function…"

She held up her wrist to show him her watch. It was also black and had the same display screen on it.

"My watch can tell me… where you are…" She finished, looking down bashfully. "I thought… if we ever need to go back in the tv world, it might… help us find each other if we get separated…"

Kanji stared at the gift in awe. "Whoa… that's pretty awesome, babe! Thank you!"

"R-Really?" Naoto replied, still very red in the face. "I'm glad…" She had worried he might think it was weird.

"Of course! I mean- I hope we never need to use it that way, but I'll be sure to wear it every day just in case."

The two smiled at each other and kissed. When they pulled apart, Naoto could feel that familiar fluttering in her stomach. She knew it was time for the other thing she wanted to do…

"Um, Kanji… Th-There is actually a… second part to your gift."

He looked puzzled. "What is it?"

Naoto gulped. "I… need to get it ready first. I'll be right back…"

She picked up her bag and left the room. (Leaving the door open slightly.) She went into the bathroom across the hall. No doubt, she likely left Kanji very confused.

~...

Kanji waited patiently for Naoto to come back. He had heard the bathroom door close. He was eager to see what she was planning to do. What could it be?

"K-Kanji?" He heard Naoto's voice from the hall.

"Yeah, what is it?" He replied.

"Um- could you please c-close your eyes?"

Now he was really curious. "Why?"

She seemed to struggle to answer. "B-Because it's a surprise…"

Kanji smiled widely. "Alright!" He covered his eyes with one hand and said. "Ok, ready!"

Naoto peeked inside to confirm that he wasn't bluffing. Seeing that he wasn't, she came in and gently shut the door behind her. She dropped her bag back on the floor and smoothed down her skirt. It wasn't so bad once she actually had it on. The top she could honestly handle fine, with or without her binding. It was the skirt that felt unfamiliar. She hadn't worn a skirt in years. And she didn't see how any of her friends could stand to wear such a thing in winter. She didn't bother with bringing the regulation socks with it, since she was going to have to take them off soon to go to bed anyway. But seeing that Kanji was waiting for her, she pushed aside these trivial concerns and cleared her throat to let him know she was here.

"Um, y-you can look now…"

Kanji opened his eyes and froze with his eyes wide, his face turned bright red instantly. He couldn't believe what he was looking at. Naoto Shirogane… wearing a girl's school uniform. The very same kind he saw all the other girls wearing all the time. But he never dreamed he'd see her wear one. She was blushing and fidgeting with her hands. She looked adorable- cute- amazing- beautiful- perfect- so many words went through his head at once he couldn't decide on just one. He was utterly lovestruck, and proud of her, too. It must have taken a lot of courage to do this. And it felt even better that he was the first to see it.

Naoto tried to ignore the nerves and be positive, but… Kanji wasn't saying anything. He just kept staring at her. Did he not like it?

"Er… th-this is your surprise…" She said, quietly.

Kanji seemed to finally snap out of his trance and got up. He walked over to her and kept gawking at her.

"U-Um… aren't you going to-"

"You look beautiful…!"

Her face went even redder but the words made her smile. "I-Is that so…?"

"Yeah, it's… wow…!" He was having trouble saying much of anything because he was so entranced by her beauty. He could stare at her forever like this and be happy! "Wh-Why did you…?"

"Well, I- I wanted to make this night special." She explained, "I was informed that wearing something you've never seen would be sufficient. I decided this was the best option. I know I don't have the courage to wear it to school yet, but right now, at least… I wanted to do it for you, Kanji." She felt a little emotional saying it like that, but it was the truth.

Kanji could feel her sincerity. He smiled warmly at her and moved closer to her. He put one hand on her waist and used the other to gently grab her chin and make her look up at him. She seemed surprised at the intimate gesture, but not upset by it. She stared at him unsurely, wondering what he was up to.

"Ya know, the watch is still awesome, but this is definitely my favorite present," He said softly.

Hearing that made all the nervous feelings die down. Naoto smiled up at him. She stood up on her toes and kissed him, wrapping her arms around his neck. Kanji held her by the waist and deepened the kiss happily.

"I love you, Kanji…"

"I love you too, Naoto…"

"So- I haven't mentioned it yet, but… I can stay out as long as I want tonight…"

"Oh, yeah? Do you… wanna stay here?"

Naoto giggled lightly. "I'd love to."

Kanji picked her up, making her squeak happily in surprise, and kissed her again before setting her on his bed.

It was a long, happy night together.

~...

The next morning, Kanji woke up first. He all but smacked his alarm clock when he turned it off. He didn't want it to disturb- He turned back the way he had been facing, and smiled. Naoto was still sleeping comfortably, facing the wall with her back pressed into his stomach. She had only stirred slightly from the noise. Must not be too light a sleeper, he thought. Eh, he was kinda that way too. Somewhere between light and heavy most nights.

He stared at her warmly. He'd never forget how great last night felt. All that wonderful time alone together, all the kisses, and… Well, it was fun. The only downside was that it was over. But, they could always find time for another night like that in the future. He wrapped his arm around her stomach and snuggled into her.

"Mmm…"

"You awake, babe?" He whispered.

"No…" Naoto mumbled sleepily.

Kanji chuckled softly. "But doesn't that mean you are?" Naoto didn't reply. He gently moved his hand along her body. "Don't you remember, we gotta meet the others at Junes today…"

She still wouldn't get up. He didn't expect Naoto to be this hard to get up in the morning. Maybe it was just because she was tired, they did stay up later than normal last night.

"If you don't get up, I'm gonna have to make you…" Kanji said, playfully.

Naoto sighed. "Alright… I'm up." She sleepily opened her eyes and turned to look at him.

She smiled at him. It felt great waking up next to the one you loved. Kanji stared at her again. Her short hair was rather messy in the morning. He doubted his was any better, since he had to put gel in it every day to get it all spiky. Of course, Naoto said she liked how he looked with his hair down. He wasn't ready to stop gelling it yet, so he'd remember that for another time.

Kanji gave her a soft kiss and said. "You look cute with your hair like that."

She turned pink. "Haha, but I'm a mess!"

"Nah, it's cute."

She sighed again knowing she wasn't going to get him to change his mind. "Could you grab my bag for me, please?"

"Sure-" Kanji got up and grabbed it, and handed it to her as she sat up in bed. "You can take a shower first too, by the way. I don't mind waiting."

"Thank you." A nice hot shower should help wake her up. She was about to get out of bed, but then a thought hit her. "Um, wait… what if your mother sees me?"

Kanji turned red at the thought. Ok, his mom didn't mind leaving the two of them alone, but did that mean she was ok with his girlfriend sleeping over? He didn't ask- he didn't wanna ask. Just as he was panicking, he noticed his phone had a recent text message on it. He looked at it. It was from his mom saying she had to stay so late at the inn, her friend gave her a room for the night as a thank you.

"Phew, she's still at the inn. No worries!" Kanji said, smiling.

"Oh, good!" Naoto was not about to face Mrs. Tatsumi after last night. She got up and gave Kanji another kiss before heading to the bathroom.

~...

Once the two were dressed for the day, they put on their winter coats and headed out to Junes. There was a plan in place for some kind of meeting at the secret headquarters. Like a last proper meeting to close the case or something. They were the last ones to arrive, holding hands and looking very comfortable and happy.

"There you are!" Chie greeted, loudly. "You guys are late!"

"Well, only by a couple minutes," Yu said, calmly.

"I'm sorry, we lost track of time." Naoto lied.

Rise stared at her curiously for a moment. " Sure you did…"

Naoto and Kanji merely sat down with them and everyone moved onto the subject of their meeting and their plans for the group party today. Naoto sighed internally though. It was clear that Rise, and most likely the others as well, didn't believe her excuse one bit.

~End of Chapter