Work Text:
Naoto had always known that this day would come. She had feared the unfortunate truth for many years; and the more time that she spent in Kanji's company, the more it proved to confirm her suspicions.
She and Kanji were two peas in a pod, and yet quite the juxtaposition to each other as well; their friendship was a prime example of an oxymoron at it's finest. Naoto treasured his companionship, and had never once doubted his strength by her side in battle. He was the first member of the Investigation Team she had ever spoken with; if only to further her investigation at the time she had made his acquaintance.
However, she couldn't help but notice something from the very beginning that plagued her subconscious; not so much of a burden, but more so a striking curiosity that even she, a prodigy detective, could never quite get to the bottom of. She had noticed since their first meeting; Kanji was hesitant, and his body language was closed off and stiff. She had originally assumed that it was due to the nature of their meeting; a friendly interrogation. He would stutter and trail off, and his face would flush madly.
She could only assume that he would be nervous for so long, but after several years, it was starting to become apparent to her that his condition was gradually worsening. She had even started to consider the possibility that perhaps it was the fault of a terminal illness. There would be no other explanation. It saddened her greatly, as he was a very dear friend to her.
She opens her phone, reading over a text from Kanji himself.
Kanji: Hey, Naoto. Are you busy right now? There's something I need to get off of my chest.
She frowns slightly, eyebrows creasing. Perhaps he was finally going to trust her with this information; trust was vital to any friendship. Her heart pangs in pity… it would be hard news to break to any of the team. Having a terminal illness could not be easy. Her fingers hover over her phone for a moment, before she types out a hasty response.
Naoto: N. MEET AT SAMEGAWA FLOOD PLAIN. 5PM OKAY? Y/N
The response was almost immediate.
Kanji: Uh, yeah, sounds great. I'll see you there.
Naoto: THX
She shuts her phone, and slides it into her coat pocket. She was definitely not considered socially adept, but she did know that accepting one's illness and sticking with them until the very end was the proper thing to do. Perhaps there was a way to ease the tension… soften the blow, or so to speak.
Naoto pulls her hat on, and stretches her back as she stands up from her work desk. She'd been working on a case late into the night yet again, much to her aching joint's apparent displeasure. She starts towards the door, grabs her keys, and locks the door behind her. It wasn't too far of a walk to get to the Samegawa Flood Plain, but she could still enjoy the short expedition there.
It would be a perfect time to think about all of her possible responses to this unfortunate turn of events; perhaps something to comfort him in his time of need. Perhaps a pat on the shoulder? Physical touch was rumored to be a great way to share empathy with somebody of a close bond to one. But it could have the opposite effect in trying times as well; Kanji was a bit unpredictable, so there was no telling. Perhaps a gift would help? Or she could treat him to a meal of his choice after he delivered his unfortunate diagnosis. As Rise had told her, a meal was the way to a man's…. heart. Wouldn't it technically be the way to a man's stomach? She didn't quite understand.
She took a seat on an empty picnic table beside the riverbed, and rested her forearms on the tabletop. She hoped he would finally be able to deliver the news this time. It was no surprise that he was trying once more; there were numerous times in which Kanji would attempt to come clean to her, or so she had deduced. He would get very nervous, and his condition would worsen to the point that he would look like he was about to faint. It was a difficult subject to breach, she was sure.
Just as she checks her pocket-watch, she hears footsteps in the grass approaching behind her. She swivels around to meet his gaze, and when their eyes lock, he breaks eye contact and his face lightly flushes. Her eyes soften. It was quite pitiful… She wished he would trust her and know that she would support him no matter what his medical condition may entail. "Greetings, Kanji-kun."
"Uh, hey, Naoto." He coughs, and rubs his neck. He squints his eyes shut, seemingly mustering up courage, as far as she could gather. His next move, however, surprised her quite a bit. "I… m-mind if I.. uh, sit here..?" He says, voice getting quieter and more unsure as he continues. When she nods, a bit confused as to why he felt that he would need her permission to sit down, he slowly takes a seat beside her, rather than across from her. It was… unexpected, but not unwelcome. He seemed to be the type to seek out comfort in situations of great intensity, from the looks of it.
"I will listen to anything you have to say. If you so wish, I will keep it confidential, as well." She places a hand on his back in order to comfort him, causing him to jump slightly. He quickly relaxes, then looks at her. She holds his gaze, in an attempt to communicate that she was a reliable source that he could confide in. Hopefully her message would get through to him.
"W-well…" He rubs his neck nervously, breaking eye contact. "T-there's… somethin' I've been meaning to tell ya for.. several years now." He sighs, his fists clenching and unclenching; he seemed to be quite suddenly fixated on staring at them.
"I am listening." She nods, assuring him.
He screws his eyes shut, face getting a worrying shade of red. Her brows furrow with concern, and she places the back of her hand against his forehead. He was intensely feverish. "Kanji-kun… if you aren't feeling well, you are free to contact me at a later date to confide in me." She wanted to make sure that he wouldn't stress himself too hard, perhaps exacerbating his illness.
He snapped away from the contact, as if struck by lightning. "That's… n-no. That ain't it. I… I gotta tell ya. I've been pussyin' out for too long." He takes a deep breath, and steadies his breathing.
She nods slowly, still somewhat concerned. "I'm all ears."
"I… I've been runnin' from it too long. But…. I kinda… shit. I k-kinda… well, I just….god DAMN it!" He bangs a fist on the table, clearly struggling to find the right words.
"It's alright, Kanji-kun. I believe I understand the message that you are attempting to convey to me." She pats his back comfortingly. "I've suspected it for quite some time. It seems that we must finally address what is referred to as the 'elephant in the room'." She interjects, trying to make it easier on him.
His eyes widen to the size of saucers, and he whips his face towards her. "W-wait, you do?! Since-- since when?" He stutters, completely shocked.
She smiles to him sadly. "Ever since our first meeting, I've picked up on your unique mannerisms. It is nothing to be ashamed of, and cannot be helped."
"U-uh… yeah..?" His eyes have a strange, hopeful gleam. "Then…. do you…?" He trails off, blushing hard.
She raises a brow. "Hm..?" What was he talking about? Does she support him? Of course. "Yes, I support you and I will do my best to assist you in your recovery process." She nods to him, smiling gently.
"W-wait… s-s-seriously?!" He looks completely caught off guard. In turn, she too is caught off guard. Isn't that the proper thing to do for a terminally ill cohort? She had assumed so, at least.
"Is something amiss..?" She frowns, slightly puzzled.
He stares at her for quite some time, absolutely shocked. She couldn't place what was so off putting about her response.
"I… I just didn't… uh… I never really thought.. y'know…. That you would feel that way. About me." He blushes, breaking eye contact once more and rubbing his neck nervously.
"That is preposterous… Of course I feel that way. I am thankful that you have finally confided in me." Of course she would back him up in his time of need. Did he distrust her loyalty that much?
"Uh… well, I… I didn't expect this to go so well…" He smiles at her nervously, and turns to face her.
"Why so?" She raises her brow curiously.
"W-well…. Y'know. You're just… so… outta my league. Smart, pretty, and everythin' I'm not. You've got everythin' all planned out, and yer career ahead of ya and I'm just… the guy who makes stuffed animals. I ain't complainin'... I'm just… surprised." He blushes, and places his hand on hers.
She nods, confusion growing as he continues his statement. Wait… why was he complimenting her? What would that have to do with...supporting…. Wait. Finally, everything clicked. He was confessing his love for her. Her eyes widened in shock. It all made perfect sense now-- he wasn't terminally ill! He was just…. Oh. This was… the opposite of what she had been expecting. Now, it was her turn to be incredibly flushed. How had she not picked up on that? How many years had it been since she had met him now? Just how clueless could she be?
"Uh… you okay?" He says, a bit trepidatiously. He squeezes her hand weakly, but does nothing else beyond that.
"Erm… Y-yes. I-I just. Ahem." She pulls her hat down with her free hand in an attempt to hide her panic-stricken expression. "Just a moment." She takes a few moments to think about this.
Kanji had just spilled his heart out to her, and as unexpected as it was, she wasn't sure how to react. She had never really been one to get entangled in petty love affairs, but… perhaps she would give it a chance. It couldn't be all bad, if Kanji had been harboring apparent affections for her for so long. And he knew even her deepest secrets.. It may even prove beneficial to attempt to explore a more intimate relationship with one of her closest companions. In turn, it would also mean taking time from work to spend with said companion… She glanced at him, and nodded slightly.
"Erm.. I wouldn't be opposed to…. to seeing how things play out. It's… w-worth an attempt." She speaks without thinking it through, words tumbling out one after another.
Kanji nods slowly, and squeezes her hand once more. She squeezes it back in return lightly. "I would…. I'd really like that." He carefully places a hand on her cheek, and she snaps her head to look up at him in surprise. She was not expecting him to be so forward, or so to speak.
He tilts his head to the side, and closes the distance between them. Her eyes widen when their lips make contact, but she slowly returns the kiss. It didn't last very long, but it was at least.. enjoyable. She smiles at him awkwardly, face quite flushed from the exchange.
He laughs a little, and pulls her into a light hug. "I… I can't believe this went so well… u-uh… heh… yeah…" His words are laced with a smile that she couldn't see; but his happiness truly radiated like sunshine. She returns the hug slowly, and rests her head on his chest.
"Y-yes… Um…" She laughs a bit too. This was the most surprising day of her life, as far as she could remember. "I… would you like to have a meal with me..?" She asks quietly.
"Uh… y-yeah. I'd love to." He stays wrapped around her a bit longer.
Well, she guessed she could consider this case closed.