This is a random fiction idea that I had a while ago, but never got a chance to write it, so I'm doing it now. It is kind of AU, but would most closely fit into sometime after Kirigiri rescues Naegi. The bits at the beginning and the end could apply to either of them, but in the main body of the story , the italics are Kirigiri's view , and normal writing is Naegi's view.

Anyway , I hope you enjoy this ^^

Where am I? How did I get here? It feels like it was only 5 minutes ago that my life was on the line , and now…we are as safe as we could ever be in this place , and something else is beginning. I don't know what that thing is , but it is happening , and from here , we could go anywhere...

…

"Stay with me tonight." Those are the words I'd never expect Kirigiri-san to say, not in a million years. She seemed serious when she asked, and also a bit sorrowful-I'm not entirely sure if she realises that she is inviting a boy to stay the night in her room, but knowing her, it's more likely that she doesn't care. It's still unexpected though, but then again, I didn't expect to be almost-executed , and I didn't expect to be saved at the last minute by Alter –Ego , and I definitely did not expect Kirigiri-san to go to all that trouble to come and rescue me .

So, even though I don't know her reasons, I decide to agree.

"Okay then."

Why did I say that? Is it because I am feeling guilty? Over protective? Or something else? Maybe even a mixture of all the above? I don't know. I wish I knew. It makes sense though. I don't trust Monobear. Not one bit. So it makes sense…either way , it fills me with a real sense of happiness that Naegi-kun actually agreed.

She opens the room with the key she finally got back from Togami-kun and we both go inside. It feels somewhat awkward. Not so much because I'll be sleeping here (I mean , it isn't like there is an actual rule against it) , but more because the last time I was here was to help Togami-kun look for evidence to use against Kirigiri-san. I still feel guilty.

"You can take a shower if you want. Actually, I think you need it , so just go."

Kirigiri's words shock me out of my thoughts, and that is when I remember that I've just come out of a garbage pile.

"That…would be a good idea. " I go straight there to prevent further embarrassment. Kirigiri-san leaves clothes for me on the door handle , and when I've finished she is wearing pyjamas and sitting at her desk , deep in thought.

"Kirigiri-san ?" she startles , and turns , blushing slightly.

"Sorry. Did I scare you?" I ask.

"No…No."

It was only when he went to clean up that I realised what I was doing. Where, exactly, is Naegi-kun going to sleep? If I took a pillow from the bed , and some of the spare sheets I'd taken from the storage rooms , then I am sure that I could turn the chair into a sofa of sorts , which isn't as good as an actual bed , but is better than a simple chair. But Naegi-kun can't sleep on there, so it will have to be me.

Or not. I haven't even finished explaining when he insists that it isn't fair. Interestingly, he hasn't even got a concrete reason for why it isn't fair-it just isn't. And the way he insists that he won't try anything weird is actually kind of cute. Cute. There's a word I never thought I'd use. It fits though. Cute. Argh! Forget this, I'll just agree.

And now, we are attempting to get to sleep. I think we're both embarrassed, but neither of us wants to turn away. I think Kirigiri-san is worried, because we weren't able to find and confront Monobear .To be honest , I think I'm a bit worried too , but I'm sure it'll be fine , and we'll soon be able to get out of here. I'm hoping for it. So we just lie here , looking at each other , saying nothing.

After a while , a long , long while , I start babbling. About everything and anything , eventually finding myself telling her in great detail about a park near my home. It was one that I spent a lot of my childhood in , and it's not like I observed it in great detail or anything , but all of a sudden I'm telling her about the duck pond , the gazebo , the sakura trees , fields of wild flowers and the brightly coloured playground . I'm describing how it looks when the Summer Festival is set up every year , how it sparkles when it snows in winter. Everything.

"I don't get what you're saying…" neither do I, Kirigiri-san. Well, not completely.

"Well…you said before, that you miss Japanese scenery, that you haven't seen it for a long time. I guess…I'm just trying to make it real for you. Until I can take you there, that is. " I'm still not entirely sure what I am saying , but I know I mean it. How does that even work?

I am met with silence. I try to see Kirigiri's face , to attempt to figure out what she is thinking , but it is too dark to make out her features, and I worry that I am being stupid. Then I hear her quiet voice say thanks , and feel the soft sensation of something gently brush my cheek.

He really does have a ridiculous capacity for kindness. Not to mention worming his way into people's hearts. Because that is what he has done to me, isn't it? Completely and utterly stolen my heart. If it wasn't dark, I'd simply watch him as he talks; embed every detail of his smile into my memory. But instead, I decide that perhaps what I need to understand this is a new perspective. So I trace his features with my hand, as if sculpting them.

"Kirigiri-san…what are you doing?"

"I want to see you, even if I grow blind. " I respond almost dreamily. For some reason, this makes Naegi-kun laugh quietly.

"You are really, really weird. Do you know that?"

Then, he takes my hand in his, and starts to remove my glove.

"Naegi-kun? What are you…"

"I'm not looking. It's okay, I'm not looking." And sure enough , he isn't. I can feel his hands are cupping mine oh-so-protectively, as if sheltering. I feel confused , exposed , raw. But I'm not pulling away. Instead, I find myself waiting quietly for his reaction. Will it be disgust? Fear? Repulsion?

His actual reaction surprises me.

He is crying , but trying to supress it. He is crying , and it sounds as if he is grieving quietly for some loss or other. I don't understand it.

"Naegi-kun?"

It had occurred to me that she might get mad at me, but I'm being ruled by a part of myself that I didn't know existed. And now I am holding her poor, scarred hand in my two plain, ordinary hands and feeling sorrow at what she might have possibly suffered. I don't know how bad it is , because I won't look , but the skin feels different and for her gloves to be concealing them …

"Do..do you remember what happened?"

"No. Not really." Which , knowing Kirigiri-san means that she just doesn't want to say. I can't push it. So I won't.

When silence falls again , I am expecting it.I don't really mind. I don't really like using words unnecessarily .And somehow, I don't think we need words anymore. We can just be.

I am getting sleepier, but for some reason, the thought that I would like to kiss her forms clearly in my mind, and remains clearly.

Wait, what? I shake my head, trying to fix my brain, but no, I still want to kiss her.

"Is something wrong, Naegi-kun?"

"N-no! I'm fine." My cheeks burn, and I am glad that is dark, or she'd definitely pick up on it.

A soft, low and warm sound comes out of nowhere. It takes me a while to realise that it is the sound of Kirigiri-san laughing.

"I think it is you who is the weird one, Naegi-kun." I tell him. For some reason, everything strikes me as funny, and I am laughing quietly. It's nice, laughing. It feels like something I haven't done in a very, very long time.

It occurs to me that it is Naegi-kun who is responsible for this feeling. Naegi-kun. Makoto Naegi , Super Duper High School Level Luck. The so-called ordinary high school student. I can't help but feel that those previous opinions about him are a tad inaccurate. He is extraordinary, special , precious. At least to my now-biased view.

I carefully pull my hands out of his grasp, and put my glove back on. Once that is done , I do something else I never thought I'd do . I wrap my arms around him , and hold him close.

"Thank you." I whisper.

"What…Kirigiri-san…" his voice is foggy , as if he is about to fall asleep. And sure enough , he does.

I am confused when she embraces me . Not least because I'm so , so tired. But it feels nice , the way she holds me. Soft , safe. A bit like the sound of her laughter earlier. So I give in .To both the warmth and the sleepiness…

As I absently stroke Naegi-kun's hair ,and listen to the sounds of his sleeping , I feel my own eyes grow heavy. But for the first time in ages, I don't feel fear at falling asleep. Possibly because I feel safe , with him by my side. I never thought that my safety would simply depend on having a reliable person by my side. But then again, I've been thinking and saying and doing and feeling so many different things that I never thought I'd do. It would be so easy to just say that I'm not myself tonight , but that would be a lie-if anything , I'm more myself now than I've ever been. But at the same time , I've changed. Nothing makes sense anymore. I'm not sure I like again , I'm not sure that I don't like it. But I think it will be okay. I don't know why . I just think it will.

Perhaps Naegi-kun's optimism is rubbing off on me now. This is one of the last things I think before finally falling into a peaceful sleep.

…

Where am I? How did I get here? aren't the questions I should be asking. The real question is –where do I go from here? Where do we go from here? We've exposed our inner selves, put our hearts and souls on the line-a line which is becoming blurred, a line that we've both crossed, a line that can no longer be seen when I look back over my shoulder .We've crossed a line , and there is no going back. There can never be any turning back. This is something I am sure of. But it doesn't matter.

Because I don't want to go back.

So , there we have it. A lot of it is left up to interpretation , and it is a bit OOC at times…but I'm pretty proud of it. So , please leave feedback ^^