Begin!

~Normal POV

It was Valentine's Day. A day for girls to give candy or presents to their partners. Kanji and Naoto were both a little nervous about the day. It even felt kind of strange being one of the few couples who weren't giving their gifts at school. But that was because they wanted to do it in the afternoon, when they would be able to spend time together alone.

It felt like a long wait for the final bell. Naoto had put her chocolate safely away, so it wouldn't be damaged, or melt. She did buy some extra store bought ones for the other boys, as a friendly courtesy, but for Kanji she knew it had to be homemade. Knowing him, he probably wouldn't mind either way, but it was more special if she made it herself. Lucky her that she found a good recipe to follow.

When school finally did let out, she went to meet up with Kanji. The two left together, wanting to get away from their friends as quickly as possible to avoid any teasing. (And there was sure to be some later.) They walked down the floodplain path, holding hands and chatting.

"You didn't tell me where you wanted to go," Kanji said.

Naoto smiled. "Well- there are a few options I could have chosen. And we could also go somewhere else later on, if we want to, but in thinking it over, there was only one spot that sounded most appropriate for us."

She took the lead, gently tugging him along behind her. A short time later, they arrived at the floodplain gazebo. It was thankfully empty for them, most likely due to all the snow. It was sunny today, but still rather cold.

Kanji smiled in understanding. "You're right, it is the best spot."

"That's because it's ours."

They both laughed and went to sit down close to each other on the bench. The atmosphere here was peaceful and relaxing. A perfect spot for a date.

"It's quiet…" Naoto commented. "Um, I'm sorry about what happened back at school…"

"Oh, when the others teased us? Eh, it didn't bother me that much. I know they're just happy for us and all." Kanji said, shrugging.

"That's true… It is nice to know our friends care for our happiness so much." Naoto replied, thoughtfully. "But it didn't help that I was already nervous about today…"

"Heh, I was nervous too."

"A-Anyway, here." Naoto pulled a small black box out of her bag. It had a lovely blue ribbon tied around it. She handed it to him.

Kanji carefully opened it, not wanting to damage her gift. It was full of little homemade chocolates. They were shaped like penguins and had intricate little designs on each one. He could tell this must have taken her a long time to make.

"I… at first, I had it all wrapped up in some cute little package…" Naoto said, blushing and fiddling with her hat in her hands. "I thought you would like it more that way, but I took it off, because it was too embarrassing to be carrying that around…"

"It's awesome, babe!" Kanji said, grinning, "Thank you!"

"O-Oh… you're welcome." She smiled, shyly.

"Wanna share them?"

"S-Sure!" Naoto answered, putting her hat down on her lap.

They ate the chocolates together. They tasted just as wonderful and elegant as they looked. She was happy they turned out so perfectly. Once they were gone, Kanji put the box away in his school bag, wanting to keep it for later.

"I guess I did an ok job." Naoto said, "I mean, what did I expect, I made it exactly the way the book said…"

"Yeah, and thank goodness you knew to do that…" Kanji muttered, softly.

"Huh? Did you say something?"

"I said, ' they were delicious, babe.'" Kanji said, smiling at her.

Naoto gave him a slightly skeptical look, but chose to drop it. "Ok then… I'm glad you like them. I- I started out wanting to make something that reflected how I really felt, but I couldn't think of anything… So I went with something you would like instead."

"Aww, either way, I love it," Kanji said, encouragingly. He then seemed to get nervous for some reason. "Uh, actually…"

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, it's just… um…" He blushed heavily. "Uh, so I know that guys are supposed to wait for White Day and all, but… I kinda have something for you too."

She looked a little excited now. "Oh? What is it?"

Kanji looked away nervously. "Um, ya don't have to accept it, if you don't like it. A-And I'll understand if you don't, cause I know it ain't really your thing- B-But I'll keep it anyway, if you change your mind! So… here…" He pulled something out of his bag and dropped it in her lap.

Naoto stared at his present in awe. It was a perfect stuffed doll of Yamato-Sumeragi. Every detail was stitched intricately and looked exactly the same as the real thing. She turned it over in her hands, admiring everything about it.

"Kanji…"

"I- I was thinking of making one for everybody's, and I finished yours first. I figured since it was done, it might make a good present for today. A-And cause… it would be a reminder of how this past year has been for you…"

His reasoning was honestly touching. She smiled warmly up at him. "It's perfect… Thank you. I'd love to keep it."

Kanji finally looked at her again, shocked that she liked it. "Really?!"

"Yes, I love it. It's v-very cute. You got every detail just right. I'm not even sure how you were able to do that."

He smiled proudly. "Well, I saw you fighting so many times, I guess I memorized it. I started making the basics and everything just came naturally as I went. And if you like it, I can always make you more, if you want."

She chuckled lightly. "I might if I feel like it. It would be more complete with the whole set. But this is a good start." She put the doll away in her bag.

There was something else on her mind, and she wanted to say it. It was rather important.

"When I'm with you… I start to lose sight of the identity I've created for myself. I'm blurring, becoming something new… I want to be happy with who I am… But I want you to be happy with who I am, too… And then, I start wondering if I'm changing myself for my benefit, or if I'm doing it for your approval… and what that means about me." She turned pink. "I think… I want you to help me figure out who I really want to be. Because I know that if you're happy with who I am, then I don't need anyone else's approval but my own."

Kanji stared at her as she talked, listening to every word intently. "Naoto, you know I love you just the way you are. As long as you're still you, that's all that matters to me." He replied, softly.

"So… you're saying that you like who I am now?"

"Of course I do!"

"I don't need to change myself for you…?"

"Not a thing, unless it's something you want to do."

She suddenly felt stupid for having to ask. She knew Kanji loved her unconditionally. She was a fool to think such concerns would change his mind.

"And-" Kanji spoke up. "I hope that you like who I am now too… A-And in the future…"

Naoto smiled again. "I do, very much… I know that you and I have gone through many similar experiences. And while I love you for who you are, I can't help wondering what it will be like when we both drop our 'public images' for our own happiness."

He made an amused sound. "I think it'll look much more jarring on me than you."

"Nonetheless, I would be happy to see it in our future…"

The two kept smiling warmly at each other. Enjoying this quiet moment.

"Matters of the heart are still… difficult for me sometimes. But… you've always got me figured out." Naoto said. "You must be a master detective on your own… or a spy…"

Kanji laughed. "I don't think I'm either of those… I just… care about you."

Naoto turned red again from his words. "It's not fair, stealing just my heart like this… If you're going to take part of me, take all of me…"

Kanji gently put his arm around her and pulled her in for a kiss. She closed her eyes and happily kissed him back. When they pulled apart, they stared at each other with big smiles.

"I love you, Kanji…"

"I love you too, Naoto…" Kanji glanced at the sky and noticed the time. "Do you wanna go back to my house for the night? We can… do more of this…" He said, trying, and probably failing, to sound suave.

Naoto giggled softly. "Sure, let's go."

They walked back to his house to spend the rest of their date comfortable indoors. Preferably in his room, Naoto thought to herself as they walked, smiling at the idea. It was one of her favorite places to be. She merely chose the gazebo to start with today because it was their special spot. Especially after all that time they spent there together last year. Actually, that made her think of a question she'd been meaning to ask for a while.

"Kanji?"

"What's up?"

"I wonder… if we hadn't needed to work on that little case… Would we have still ended up together?"

"I think so… I mean, it would have been a longer wait, but I think I would have found the courage to confess, eventually."

"I agree. I suppose it would have taken longer for me to consider my feelings, but I don't think it would have changed anything. Besides, it isn't worth wondering what might have been. We're here now, and we can look forward to our future together."

"Yeah, we can."

The two continued chatting happily as they walked, with Kanji's arm around her to keep her warm. Both eager to see what that future would bring for them.

~The End!

I hope you enjoyed it. Thank you for reading! :)