O.K.  I have to write this real quick, then I’ll get back to the NSFW challenge.  Perhaps you’ve seen these screencaps floating around, and I made a comment about Naoto just, you know, being tired of the blushy blushy and wanting, as tumblr has termed it, the “D.”

Warnings:  Uh… I dunno Naoto’s a bit OOC (by “a bit” I mean “a whole bunch,” or do I?).  Spoilers for Golden, and… humor?  Crack?  The crush thing between them flipped upside down?  I dunno urm… happy new year?

***

This is getting out of hand.

Naoto sighs as she walks with the team through what feels like the eighteenth dungeon that evening.  She knows it can’t be eighteen because there aren’t eighteen to begin with, but senpai insists that they need to train so that’s what they’re doing.

He’s right, of course, he’s always right – though with Adachi put away she’s not sure what they’re training for.  But she knows that she’s just acting like a frustrated child as they trek up another set of heavenly stairs that lead to a tranquil sky of blue – complete with rainbows, too.

To be fair, everyone knows why she’s really frustrated – everyone except for the one person who matters.  She’s been wearing this ridiculous skirt and thigh high socks since dungeon number two and he still won’t look at her.

Senpai has – oh, has he ever, always leering in her general direction.  

Hanamura-senpai has, stupid pervert, always having some comment that inevitably makes Naoto want to shoot him.  

Teddie has – of course, of course, bear this and bear that, bear bear bear.  

Hell, even Rise-san has!  Moreso than senpai, actually, her hands seeming addicted to groping things they really shouldn’t. 

But Kanji Tatsumi?  No, he just keeps looking away from her.

“Cheer up, Naoto-kun,” Chie says, bouncing from one foot to the other.  The yellow track suit has made her even more energetic and they constantly have to tell her not to kick their adversaries off into space – they need to train too, you know.

“Yeah, he’ll take notice soon enough,” says Yukiko, all smiles and elegance in her kimono.  How she fights in that thing, Naoto isn’t sure, but she still casts her fire spells with ease.

“I do not understand,” Naoto says, “all of you say he likes me, right?”

“He definitely does,” Rise nods, a knowing smile on her face, “Why do you think he blushes so much?”

“Yes, and it is all quite flattering, but it is getting frustrating.”

She’s literally tried everything with him at this point.  

She’s been blunt I find you incredibly intriguing.  

She’s been helpless, stumbling forward so he could run forward and catch her – though technically she had been exhausted after getting her persona.  

She’s smiled at him like a moron after putting on her glasses for the first time.  

She’s offered to let him stand underneath her umbrella.

She’s even been naked in front of him!  Although… that hadn’t been intentional, stupid hot springs trip.

She’s cried in front of him – how completely embarrassing, but she felt that she had made progress that day.  He had actually touched her – just her shoulder, but it was still progress.

And she’s stood with him during their hardest challenge, facing the biggest eyeball she had ever seen – oh, and Adachi-san too, of course.

But seven steps forward has turned into seven steps right back.

Now here she is, dressed in a way that reveals her femininity, and all she’s gotten is, “You look cu-cu-cu…”

Sigh.

“None of this is working.”

“Sure it is,” this comes from senpai who always feels the need to smirk when he looks at her.  Ugh.  You ask a guy if you should be more womanly and spend one night in his room and he gets all the wrong ideas, “But… there is always the-”

“No.  Absolutely not.”

“Nao-chan, those decorative panties will surely release your wild side, rawr!”

“How can you even suggest she wear those things?!”  Rise asks, “Those battle panties are just-…” she stops and looks at Naoto, tilting her head, “Actually, they might not look that bad…”

“No!”

“I dunno, Naoto-kun,” and here comes Hanamura-senpai, all goofy winks and large grins, “That might be a good way to-”

“What’re ya guys talkin’ about?”

Everyone turns to look at Kanji who, for some strange reason beyond Naoto’s control, is wearing a suit that fits him quite well.

Doesn’t he realize what he’s doing to her?!

“We’re talking about Naoto-kun’s cute outfit!  Isn’t she cute?”

Naoto will have to thank Rise for her hyperactive bluntness.  Now all eyes are on Kanji, waiting for an answer.  

He has to say something now, right?

“Um… well, I… w-well… shit, is that a shadow?  We should keep goin’!”

He runs.

He actually runs away.

“Don’t worry, Naoto, he’ll come around,” there’s an arm around her shoulders and she looks up to see senpai grinning at her – again, “You sure you don’t want the panties?”

“She doesn’t want the panties,” Yukiko says, snickering, “She just wants the K!”

Chie blinks, raising an eyebrow, “What does that even mean?”

“You know, people say that girls want the ’D.’  Kanji-kun’s name starts with a ‘K,’ so…”

“Dude, do you even know what the ’D’ is?”

“It’s a guy’s first name right?”

Naoto sighs and decides to step away from the group, trying to come up with a possible eighth step in her master plan on snagging one Kanji Tatsumi.  Maybe if senpai gives her an opening for a team up attack she can accidentally roll on top of him…

A moment later she hears Yukiko’s loud shriek of, “That’s what it means?!" 

"Yes Yukiko-senpai,” Naoto mutters under her breath, walking down the path to catch up with Kanji, “Not like I am going to be receiving it anytime soon.”

At least, until, a certain ski trip comes along.

Thank goodness for not being skilled at everything she does.