Because I'm around now
Wrote this to fulfill a prompt at badbadbathhouse and yes, it is Kanji/Naoto because I freakin' love that pairing.
Title: Schröedinger
Summary: A rainy day in November. A depressed detective in the rain and a confused tailor walking by. Spoilers for those who haven't passed September.
Rating: PG
A day of rain... nothing more... it was expected to end by this evening. They didn't even need to go to the TV... they saved Nanako.
Kanji walked quietly in the rain, holding an umbrella over his head and looking around. A downtime in fighting gave him a chance to work on more dolls and some time to...
He blinked and took a double take as he past the Riverbank stairs, frowning. Someone was sitting under the large tree. They had an umbrella, but it wasn't opened. Actually... he recognized that hat. He blinked and called out, "Naoto?"
The hat wearing detective youth shifted and looked up, her head turning back to look over her shoulder. Her blue-gray eyes stared at him for a while, but then turned away, staring at the Samegawa River. He frowned. What the hell was she doing out here? And her umbrella... she was going to get her dumb ass sick. Kanji grumbled and walked down the stairs, stopping next to the tree so his umbrella was over both of them, "Hey... you're gonna get sick if you stay here any longer..."
"I don't care..." she muttered.
He frowned, kneeling down, "Why's that?"
She was silent, just staring off into space. His eyes hardened and he slipped the shopping bag around his wrist before moving forward. Naoto blinked, startled as his hands grabbed her waist and he picked her up, slinging her over his shoulder, "!? Kanji-kun! Put me down!"
"Nah... you ain't staying out here..." Kanji replied, picking up her umbrella before standing. She stopped struggling immediately at the height difference from the ground and remained still as his arm wrapped over her back. His shoulder was getting damp from her drenched clothes...
He didn't care...
She was holding onto his jacket...
He was a bit embarrassed at his impulse...
She was silent...
So was he...
She started shaking...
He didn't stop until he was back at the Textile Shop.
---
"Kanji, your home... oh, who's that you have with you..."
"Friend Ma... she was hangin' out in the rain for some reason..." Kanji replied, setting Naoto down on her feet.
Kanji's mother blinked and looked at Naoto, "Goodness, she needs a change of clothes. Come with me; we'll find something for you to wear while they dry."
Naoto didn't say anything, but nodded slowly, her expression stoic as Mrs. Tatsumi practically dragged her away. Kanji walked down to his own room to change his clothes too, wondering what the hell was up with Naoto. She was acting so strange... well, her normal self was kinda strange, but strange normal... this was just... strange unfamiliar weird.... strange. He tossed off his jacket, letting it flop against his bed while he grabbed another shirt, pulling off his current and slipping it on. He walked out of his room and into the living room, sitting down at the table with his sewing supplies.
Unfortunately, he didn't know what to make. He just... stared at the fabric, thread, and needle. Black and white.... black and white.... what to make that would...?
"Just sit down at the table... I'll get some tea," his mother said. Probably talking to Naoto because she knelt down at the table a second later, still looking grim. That was it! Grim! Damn, how could he forget that word?
The clock ticked overhead, the rain still gently falling outside, and the silence was really awkward between them. Kanji looked up at her and she was just looking down still. He frowned and, after a few seconds hesitation, asked, "What's wrong Naoto?"
"It's nothing..." she whispered, shifting inside the spare kimono his mom lent her. He turned pink seeing her like that, but tilted his head, "Naoto... you ain't the person to just sit in the rain and get soaked. What happened?"
"Kanji-kun... please, don't ask..."
"Why not? You were gonna get sick out there. I have a right to know why you did something so... childish...."
Naoto bit her lip at that word and looked down at the table. She was silent, but then, said under her breath, "My grampa's cat Schröedinger died... he had disappeared a few days ago and... we just found him laying outside under his favorite tree..."
"Oh..."
"He was old... I was expecting him to die..." Naoto trailed. Kanji looked down, feeling horrible for pressing her, but... his eyes flickered to the fabric.
"Naoto, what did he look like?" Kanji asked. Naoto looked up, confused, but then down, "He was black... and his right ear was white... his eyes were bright silver... almost opal like... Grampa made him a collar with two silver bells on them."
"... Okay... I got it..."
"... What?"
"Just gimme a few minutes... maybe an hour or so..." Kanji replied, picking up his sewing supplies. Naoto blinked, curious, but then looked up as Mrs. Tatsumi walked in again, setting down a tray with two hot cups of tea on them, "Drink up... we don't want you to get sick."
"Oh... thank you," Naoto said, nodding to Mrs. Tatsumi. She smiled back before walking out of the room. Kanji didn't even notice. He seemed fixated on working, his hands working diligently to cut, fold, stitch, and so forth with the fabric. His tea cooled as it rested forgotten on the table and soon, it came time Naoto needed to leave. She redressed in her clothes, giving back Mrs. Tatsumi's kimono before approaching the door. Kanji walked with her, saying, "Meet me at the park tomorrow after school... bring your cat's collar if you still have it."
"O-Okay... good bye," Naoto replied. She disappeared into the evening drizzle. When she was out of sight, Kanji went back to work.
---
Alone... had he stood her up? She felt ridiculous sitting there... alone, fiddling with Schröedinger's collar. She should've just gone home, but something compelled her to come here and wait. If he didn't come soon though... Naoto frowned. She told him all that and he was probably off doing something else and had completely blown her off. Weird she felt so... betrayed? No, no... it was something else...
"S-Sorry I'm late...!"
She looked up sharply at Kanji's yell, watching as he ran up to the bench and her, stopping. He was panting, tired from running, but he was able to ask, "Did... did you bring the collar?"
"Yes... but what..."
"Lemme see the collar and close your eyes..." Kanji said, holding out his hand. Naoto stared at his outstretched hand, but then handed him the twin bell collar before closing her eyes. She heard the bells jingle as he tussled around with something and then felt something on her lap, "Okay, you can look."
Slowly, she opened her eyes, but they widened at what she saw. Black, one white ear, bright silver eyes and the collar... tears rolled out of her eyes as she stared at the doll, whispering, "Schröedinger."
"Sorry it took longer than expected. I was makin' it smaller first, but then decided to make it bigger. ... Nobody sits out in the rain like that... you really loved your gramps' cat so..." Kanji looked away, scratching his head, "Uh... prolly not the best way to cheer you up, but I hope it's ok."
"Ok?"
Naoto rose to her feet, staring at Kanji and holding the medium-sized cat doll, "... I... I usually don't like dolls, b-but... thank you..."
"I-It was no..."
He blinked at a tug on his sleeve. Naoto was holding his shirt with one hand, her other wrapped around the cat doll. Color bloomed on his cheeks. She looked too damn cute and... it seemed like she wanted him to lean over. He raised an eyebrow and lowered himself, turning bright red as her lips pressed against his cheek.
"Thank you, Kanji-kun."
---
I don't know if her grampa has a cat or not. I just randomly thought of some kind of hurt/comfort fic. I had another idea before this one, but I love cats and well... I had a chance to throw in a DDS reference.
Title: Schröedinger
Summary: A rainy day in November. A depressed detective in the rain and a confused tailor walking by. Spoilers for those who haven't passed September.
Rating: PG
A day of rain... nothing more... it was expected to end by this evening. They didn't even need to go to the TV... they saved Nanako.
Kanji walked quietly in the rain, holding an umbrella over his head and looking around. A downtime in fighting gave him a chance to work on more dolls and some time to...
He blinked and took a double take as he past the Riverbank stairs, frowning. Someone was sitting under the large tree. They had an umbrella, but it wasn't opened. Actually... he recognized that hat. He blinked and called out, "Naoto?"
The hat wearing detective youth shifted and looked up, her head turning back to look over her shoulder. Her blue-gray eyes stared at him for a while, but then turned away, staring at the Samegawa River. He frowned. What the hell was she doing out here? And her umbrella... she was going to get her dumb ass sick. Kanji grumbled and walked down the stairs, stopping next to the tree so his umbrella was over both of them, "Hey... you're gonna get sick if you stay here any longer..."
"I don't care..." she muttered.
He frowned, kneeling down, "Why's that?"
She was silent, just staring off into space. His eyes hardened and he slipped the shopping bag around his wrist before moving forward. Naoto blinked, startled as his hands grabbed her waist and he picked her up, slinging her over his shoulder, "!? Kanji-kun! Put me down!"
"Nah... you ain't staying out here..." Kanji replied, picking up her umbrella before standing. She stopped struggling immediately at the height difference from the ground and remained still as his arm wrapped over her back. His shoulder was getting damp from her drenched clothes...
He didn't care...
She was holding onto his jacket...
He was a bit embarrassed at his impulse...
She was silent...
So was he...
She started shaking...
He didn't stop until he was back at the Textile Shop.
---
"Kanji, your home... oh, who's that you have with you..."
"Friend Ma... she was hangin' out in the rain for some reason..." Kanji replied, setting Naoto down on her feet.
Kanji's mother blinked and looked at Naoto, "Goodness, she needs a change of clothes. Come with me; we'll find something for you to wear while they dry."
Naoto didn't say anything, but nodded slowly, her expression stoic as Mrs. Tatsumi practically dragged her away. Kanji walked down to his own room to change his clothes too, wondering what the hell was up with Naoto. She was acting so strange... well, her normal self was kinda strange, but strange normal... this was just... strange unfamiliar weird.... strange. He tossed off his jacket, letting it flop against his bed while he grabbed another shirt, pulling off his current and slipping it on. He walked out of his room and into the living room, sitting down at the table with his sewing supplies.
Unfortunately, he didn't know what to make. He just... stared at the fabric, thread, and needle. Black and white.... black and white.... what to make that would...?
"Just sit down at the table... I'll get some tea," his mother said. Probably talking to Naoto because she knelt down at the table a second later, still looking grim. That was it! Grim! Damn, how could he forget that word?
The clock ticked overhead, the rain still gently falling outside, and the silence was really awkward between them. Kanji looked up at her and she was just looking down still. He frowned and, after a few seconds hesitation, asked, "What's wrong Naoto?"
"It's nothing..." she whispered, shifting inside the spare kimono his mom lent her. He turned pink seeing her like that, but tilted his head, "Naoto... you ain't the person to just sit in the rain and get soaked. What happened?"
"Kanji-kun... please, don't ask..."
"Why not? You were gonna get sick out there. I have a right to know why you did something so... childish...."
Naoto bit her lip at that word and looked down at the table. She was silent, but then, said under her breath, "My grampa's cat Schröedinger died... he had disappeared a few days ago and... we just found him laying outside under his favorite tree..."
"Oh..."
"He was old... I was expecting him to die..." Naoto trailed. Kanji looked down, feeling horrible for pressing her, but... his eyes flickered to the fabric.
"Naoto, what did he look like?" Kanji asked. Naoto looked up, confused, but then down, "He was black... and his right ear was white... his eyes were bright silver... almost opal like... Grampa made him a collar with two silver bells on them."
"... Okay... I got it..."
"... What?"
"Just gimme a few minutes... maybe an hour or so..." Kanji replied, picking up his sewing supplies. Naoto blinked, curious, but then looked up as Mrs. Tatsumi walked in again, setting down a tray with two hot cups of tea on them, "Drink up... we don't want you to get sick."
"Oh... thank you," Naoto said, nodding to Mrs. Tatsumi. She smiled back before walking out of the room. Kanji didn't even notice. He seemed fixated on working, his hands working diligently to cut, fold, stitch, and so forth with the fabric. His tea cooled as it rested forgotten on the table and soon, it came time Naoto needed to leave. She redressed in her clothes, giving back Mrs. Tatsumi's kimono before approaching the door. Kanji walked with her, saying, "Meet me at the park tomorrow after school... bring your cat's collar if you still have it."
"O-Okay... good bye," Naoto replied. She disappeared into the evening drizzle. When she was out of sight, Kanji went back to work.
---
Alone... had he stood her up? She felt ridiculous sitting there... alone, fiddling with Schröedinger's collar. She should've just gone home, but something compelled her to come here and wait. If he didn't come soon though... Naoto frowned. She told him all that and he was probably off doing something else and had completely blown her off. Weird she felt so... betrayed? No, no... it was something else...
"S-Sorry I'm late...!"
She looked up sharply at Kanji's yell, watching as he ran up to the bench and her, stopping. He was panting, tired from running, but he was able to ask, "Did... did you bring the collar?"
"Yes... but what..."
"Lemme see the collar and close your eyes..." Kanji said, holding out his hand. Naoto stared at his outstretched hand, but then handed him the twin bell collar before closing her eyes. She heard the bells jingle as he tussled around with something and then felt something on her lap, "Okay, you can look."
Slowly, she opened her eyes, but they widened at what she saw. Black, one white ear, bright silver eyes and the collar... tears rolled out of her eyes as she stared at the doll, whispering, "Schröedinger."
"Sorry it took longer than expected. I was makin' it smaller first, but then decided to make it bigger. ... Nobody sits out in the rain like that... you really loved your gramps' cat so..." Kanji looked away, scratching his head, "Uh... prolly not the best way to cheer you up, but I hope it's ok."
"Ok?"
Naoto rose to her feet, staring at Kanji and holding the medium-sized cat doll, "... I... I usually don't like dolls, b-but... thank you..."
"I-It was no..."
He blinked at a tug on his sleeve. Naoto was holding his shirt with one hand, her other wrapped around the cat doll. Color bloomed on his cheeks. She looked too damn cute and... it seemed like she wanted him to lean over. He raised an eyebrow and lowered himself, turning bright red as her lips pressed against his cheek.
"Thank you, Kanji-kun."
---
I don't know if her grampa has a cat or not. I just randomly thought of some kind of hurt/comfort fic. I had another idea before this one, but I love cats and well... I had a chance to throw in a DDS reference.