//TW: PARENTAL ISSUES

Makoto Naegi was the Ultimate Lucky Student at Hope's Peak Academy, and had been a member of it's 78th class of Ultimate Students. While he used to feel out of place, since everyone in his class felt like they lived in a totally different world from him, for the past year that he'd been attending the academy, the young man had gotten used to living amongst lions.

He had really believed that at this point, if something ridiculous and wild happened; something that no one would normally believe to be possible, by this point in time, he'd be able to shrug it off like it was nothing and treat it completely normally.

In a way, this was a good thing, since it made him feel like he really was a part of the family. However, while Makoto believed he could handle whatever came his way, he certainly wasn't prepared for the surprising challenge that came onto him that cold night.

Not the destruction of a building through the power of someone taking a shit.

Not a super rocket-powered motorcycle coming roaring down his street...

Nothing quite so extreme, no...For this moment in time...

He was sharing a bed with a girl...

While attending Hopes Peak Academy, Makoto lived at home with his family. His mother, his father, and a younger sister by one year named Komaru. It was currently a Tuesday night, which meant that he had to get up early and go to school in the morning, so he had turned in early to get a good amount of rest before the morning broke. The rest of his family had also gone to rest, with the only sound heard that night being Komaru's gentle, yet pretty loud, snoring.

This wasn't enough to get Makoto to awake though. After all he was used to it. But he quickly stirred awake when he suddenly heard the sound of something vibrating on the bedside table next to him. His eyes opened lazily, and he saw his smartphone glow.

"I really need to learn to turn this thing off at night..." he groaned. He sat up, reached over and picked the phone up to check who was ringing him so late at night. The surprise of the callers name however, was enough to wake him completely.

[Kirigiri-san]

Kyoko Kirigiri. Makoto's female classmate, attending the academy as the Ultimate Detective. She was pretty famous around the school, even as an Ultimate for two main reasons. Firstly, her cool beauty and mysterious personality made her a popular topic of gossip, and the other was the rumor about her relationship with Jin Kirigiri, Hopes Peak's current headmaster.

Makoto paused for a moment as he listened out for Komaru's snoring, and made sure the rest of his family were asleep before he answered the phone with a whisper.

"Hello? Is that you Kirigiri-san?" he asked.

"Naegi-kun. Thank goodness you picked up.} her cool, calm and collected voice spoke through the phone, however, it sounded unusually timid in this moment "I'm sorry to call you now. I know it's late."

"No, no, it's ok." Makoto crossed his legs and laughed comfortably, "is everything ok? You sound very...uh...nervous? Are you nervous? Am I reading the room right?"

"I don't know if I would call this feeling "nervous" per se, but I am calling because I need your help," she explained, "I'll be blunt. Can I come over to your house?"

"Huh!?" Makoto gasped, louder than he meant to, his heart sinking in fear that he had woken his sister up. Fortunately, Komaru could still be heard snoring up a storm from her bedroom, so he was in the clear for the moment. He turned his head back to his phone and asked, "why? A-Are you ok? You're not in any trouble, are you?"

"Not exactly..." she replied, "I'll explain everything later, I just...really need to get out of my house."

Makoto weighed up his options here. It would be terrible if his family busted him for letting a random girl into his house, be it his classmate or not, but on the other hand, Kyoko sounded oddly desperate. This was concerning in and of itself. She always had an air of competency, like she was above everyone else and could solve any case or problem on her own, yet here she was, seeking help.

Makoto could not, in good conscience, turn her away when it sounded so serious, so forgetting about what his family might say or how they would react, he spoke back through the phone softly.

"Alright," he said, "of course you can. Just please, remember, my family are asleep, so we can't disturb them, or let them know that you're here."

"Thank you so much," she breathed a sigh of relief, "this means more to me than you know."

"I mean...I'm just happy you asked in advance," Makoto giggled, "normally you walk into a room without knocking, so thanks for not doing that here."

"I figured I should ask first," Kyoko told him, "so I don't end up scaring you by knocking on your door at 1am in the morning. Speaking of which, how should I let you know I'm here?"

"Just send me a text," Makoto said, "I'll open the door and let you in. But once again, we have to be quiet."

"I can do that," Kyoko assured him, "I'll see you soon."

"Soon" came sooner than expected. As she had been requested to do so, Kyoko dropped Makoto a text and he quickly but quietly went down the stairs to the front door and opened it. Kyoko stood in front of the house, still wearing her school uniform and covered in snow. She looked pale from the cold, even paler than she usually was.

"Are you alright...!?" Makoto gasped, grasping her by the arms and pulling her inside the warm house, "what's going on!? D-Did you get here ok!?"

"My trip was fine...thank you for this Makoto, it means a lot," she huffed, "I'm just very cold."

"Um...alright...uh...Let me get you something warm to drink then. You want hot chocolate?" he asked.

"Warm milk will do, thank you." she told him.

Makoto poured a glass of milk and heated it up as fast and as quietly as he possibly could. He and his classmate then discreetly climbed the stairs of the house up to his room. Makoto had a chair and desk in his room, which Kyoko took a seat on. Makoto also gave her a blanket to wrap around her.

"I'm sorry once again for calling so late," Kyoko said quietly, "I just had to make sure no one was following me."

"What's going on Kirigiri-san?" Makoto asked, "a-are you being stalked?"

"If I was being stalked, it wouldn't be a problem. My family would handle it," she told him, sipping her warm milk, "but...it's my family that are the problem right now."

Kyoko came from a family that were very discreet and relatively unknown, but were comprised of a long line of famous detectives. Because Jin didn't wish to carry on the family legacy and become a detective like the rest of the Kirigiri's, he was disowned by the family, and Kyoko instead was raised by her grandfather, Fuhito. Kyoko seldom ever talked about her past, but Makoto knew at least a few details. From the way it sounded, Fuhito was a kind grandfather, but also a very strict one, and set very high expectations for his granddaughter. The fact that Kyoko had even started attending Hope's Peak was not something he apparently approved of.

"I...uh...I don't mean to pry or anything, or make guesses based on how little information I have, but..." Makoto inquired, "did you and your grandfather get into a fight?"

"I mean...pretty much," Kyoko confessed, "you know how recently, you convinced me to take the numbers of everyone in class because you wanted us to be able to talk with each other whenever we needed to?"

"Yes. We've known each other and done a lot of things together for well over a year now as classmates," Makoto explained, "we're basically friends, right? And we trust each other. If we weren't, you wouldn't have called me."

"It's more like I trust you more than I trust anyone else by default," Kyoko smirked, "you've always been an open book, and you don't hide many secrets."

"I'm not sure if I should take that as a compliment or an insult," Makoto scratched his face awkwardly, "a-anyway, we're getting off topic. What happened, and how is the number thing involved?"

"My Grandfather went through my phone and found out everyone's numbers...he ended up scolding me over it," Kyoko admitted, hanging her head so Makoto couldn't see her eyes, "he bombarded me with questions. "Who are these people?" "Why do you have a boy's name in your phone?" "What have you all been doing together?" stuff like that..."

Makoto couldn't respond to this, but he felt a twinge of anger inside of him.

"I don't blame him. I didn't go to Hope's Peak to make friends and...you know how strict he can be," she explained, "but...when he started interrogating me, and when he started insulting everyone without knowing a thing about them...I sort of...snapped..."

Kyoko was usually not the type to ever show emotion, so Makoto couldn't even imagine what she must look like when she got angry. But at this moment, she had the clearest look of sadness and regret in her eyes, and she looked like she was inches away from crying.

"I don't know what to say to that," Makoto sighed, "but what I will say is...thanks for sticking up for me. For ALL of us."

"I know that oftentimes, detectives are forced to invade people's privacy and go where they aren't supposed to to get clues," Kyoko gripped her cup even tighter, "but now I know how it feels for the people involved...I felt...violated..."

She quietly sipped her milk and looked up at Makoto.

"Maybe that's not the right word...I just didn't like it."

"Don't feel guilty about anything Kyoko. You were just doing your job," Makoto assured her, "I know full well I'm the wrong person to get advice from, but if I were in your position, I would move out of that house and find another place to live. If you still want to be a detective, maybe you could move into a dorm on campus? That way you'd be able to carry out your goals while being away from that old man?"

Makoto lowered his head to hide his face, which was progressively becoming more red and flustered.

"I mean...not to sound weird o-or anything, but...I would very much like to keep spending time with you. Like...having get-togethers, meeting new friends, going out and doing fun stuff...I know it's not your scene, but I always love having you with the rest of us."

Makoto was then greeted to the rare sight of Kyoko chuckling. The sadness remained in her eyes, but a warm smile spread on her face.

"Thank you for the advice Makoto," she addressed him with his given name rather than his family name, "though you may feel it doesn't help, I can at least keep it in mind. I'm the one coming to you with my problems after all. This isn't a good look for me."

"I disagree," Makoto smiled at her reassuringly, "don't get me wrong, I don't like seeing you sad or weak, but it comforts me to know that you at least feel emotions as everyone else does...You're usually pretty cold."

Kyoko finished her milk and placed the glass on Makoto's desk. He didn't know what compelled him to do so, but he stood up from his bed, walked over to her, pulled her out of the seat and hugged her. Kyoko's body stirred, the unfamiliarity of the situation deterring her, but eventually, she reached her arms out and wrapped them around him too. 

"Thanks..." she whispered, "you're very warm..."

"You're welcome...Kyoko..." he let go and placed his hands on her shoulders, "anyway, there's no way I'm letting you go back out into that cold snow tonight, so even if it lands me in trouble in the morning, you're staying here."

"Thank you for saving me the embarrassment of asking," Kyoko said, "I'll take this cup and go downstairs then."

"Wait, why?" Makoto asked, "are you planning to sleep on the couch?"

"Shouldn't I?" she asked, "I'm sure your couch is comfy enough."

"No way," Makoto frowned, "the living room is freezing at this time of night, and that blanket isn't anywhere warm enough. You can take my bed."

"Absolutely not...!" Kyoko snapped in a hushed voice, "I'm the guest here. I can't just barge into your house, interrupt your sleep and then steal your bed! Besides, where will you sleep? The couch? The floor?"

"Either one is fine," he said, "I'm not the one who got stuck out in the cold at night?"

"Not gonna happen," Kyoko told him firmly, "we'll need to figure something else out."

Makoto paused for a moment as he looked at his bed. The blankets were very warm, and the width was big enough. Although the thought was certainly embarrassing to think about, given the situation it was the most optimal solution, so he approached Kyoko with it.

"Ok...compromise..." he twiddled his thumbs, "my bed is...pretty big, and we would be warmer if we did this so...should we...share it?"

Kyoko's eyes widened at the prospect for a brief second, but then she put her finger to her chin and thought hard about it for a moment. Her face went slightly red, but eventually, she looked into Makoto's eyes and responded.

"Alright," she said, "that's a plan."

"Oh good..." Makoto breathed a sigh of relief, "I was so worried I looked like a weirdo for a second there..."

"A second?" Kyoko smirked sarcastically.

"Oh...shut up...!" Makoto blushed, but giggled, "I have another question though...do you have any nightclothes?"

"You mean like pajamas?" Kyoko asked, "unfortunately no. I kind of left the house in a hurry. You wouldn't happen to have a spare onesie, would you?"

She made note of the star-patterned onesie Makoto was wearing to bed that night.

"I do, but...none of them fit you probably," Makoto made note of Kyoko's height in comparison to his own, "but we can't have you going to bed in that damp uniform, so...I'll raid my sister's drawers for something. You just get yourself ready here, and...wait for me, ok?"

"Alright..." she nodded.

A short time passed, as Makoto snuck into his sister's bedroom and discreetly swiped a nightgown from her drawers. Komaru, in case it wasn't obvious by this point, was a very heavy sleeper, so Makoto had no trouble. Nevertheless, he tiptoed quietly back to his room on the other side of the hallway, and gifted the gown onto Kyoko, who had already removed her jacket by this point.

"Here. You can change into this. Leave your wet clothes on the back of my chair, they'll dry overnight." he said.

"Thank you Makoto, once again..." she nodded.

The two of them stared at each other for what felt like a long while. Both their faces progressively got more and more red, until Makoto broke the silence.

"I should uh...I should turn around, shouldn't I?" he asked.

"Y-Yes...please..." Kyoko wiped her forehead.

They both turned their backs to one another as Kyoko began stripping down, while Makoto strode to the other side of his bedroom and faced the wall. Although he wasn't the most proactive, outgoing or any other fitting term to describe an adolescent, Makoto Naegi was still a teenage boy. So while he certainly wouldn't admit it, he turned his head once or twice to get a sneaky peak. It was brief, so he only really got to see the girl's bare back, but that was enough for him.

If Kyoko noticed this, she didn't say anything. Instead, she coughed to let Makoto know she was finished changing. He turned around to see her in his sister's nightgown, looking elegant as ever, despite hardly being dressed. Kyoko looked at herself in the mirror that was attached to Makoto's wardrobe and she started to chuckle.

"What is it?" the Lucky Student asked.

"N-Nothing, it's just amusing..." she smiled, "your sister is younger than you, and her clothes fit me. We on the other hand are the same age and yours are too small."

"Oh, haha..." Makoto frowned, "very funny. You know I'm only like...what? 2 centimeters shorter than you?"

"Three." Kyoko corrected him.

"Oh, whatever...!" he gently shoved her, but appreciated the humor of the situation, and the two of them giggled about it.

Despite the unfortunate circumstances, Makoto was having fun.

After making triple sure than none of his family had heard him, Makoto closed his bedroom door for safekeeping, and then crawled under the bed covers. Nervous and embarrassed, he lifted the covers up to courteously allow Kyoko to crawl under them with him. It was only when they laid down that Makoto realized that his bed only had one pillow. A pillow big enough that he and Kyoko could lay on it together, but not big enough to avoid them getting dangerously close to one another.

"I'm sorry I..." he began to say, but Kyoko raised her gloved hand.

"It's a little too late to go get another pillow," she spoke softly, "this is fine."

"Thanks for understanding," he smiled, "it's nice getting to sleep here together with you."

"Oh? How many girls have you slept around with before to say that?" she snarked.

"I KNEW you were going to say something like that," Makoto whined, "that's not what I meant! I meant it's kind of like we're having a sleepover."

"You're such a kid," Kyoko laughed, "but...thank you Makoto. You've always been so good to me and I never thank you for it. You let me stay here, and sleep in your bed, without so much as a hesitation."

"You're the one who said that I'm an open book. I trust you." he told her.

"Yes, I did say that, but that's unrelated to this," she said, "can I be honest about something?"

"Always," he took hold of her hand and squeezed it, "what's wrong?"

"When I first came to the academy, I had my own reasons for doing so. But I swore to myself and on my name as a detective that I wouldn't get attached to anyone in my class..." she began to explain, "but...I did...And now I'm more afraid than ever as to what might happen to you...or to anyone else. If nothing else, I definitely get along with you guys more than I do anyone at my Grandfather's place."

Kyoko's grip on Makoto's hand tightened.

"I'm sorry...I stole your peaceful night away from you and now I'm ranting..."

"You should never have to apologize about your feelings," Makoto looked her deep in the eyes, "besides, I feel the same way. It's not unusual for friends to lend each other things, even if they're a bed and their sister's pajamas, nor is it weird to go out to places, have fun or laugh at each other's lame jokes."

"Thanks...I needed to hear that," she said. To Makoto's surprise, she suddenly nestled in closer to him. His face went red, but he noticed hers was rather flustered too.

"Anyway...I'm pretty sure I used up all my emotions and strength for today so...I'm going to sleep."

"Kyoko...wait..." Makoto said, "just...one more thing..."

Kyoko looked up at him, and the two looked deep into each others eyes. Truth be told, Makoto didn't know what he wanted to say to her when he said "one more thing." Perhaps he just wanted to find an excuse to keep talking with her.

Regardless of his reasons, neither side quite knew what happened next. All they felt was each other moving closer to the other, until finally, their lips touched. 

A blissful feeling skyrocketed inside of both of them. A strong wave of pure emotion overtook them. Kyoko wrapped her arms around his back to hold him close, and their soft kiss gradually became more passionate.

Makoto was able to pry them apart before things got too out of control, but he felt a sense of sadness when he did.

"Why did I...? What was...?" Kyoko's face was puzzled, "that's...not a normal friend thing, is it? To want to get that close while you feel like you have butterflies in your stomach?"

"Not exactly," Makoto gently pressed his forehead against hers, "but...we can save that talk for tomorrow. Goodnight Kyoko..."

"G-Goodnight..." Kyoko pulled Makoto's covers over her face, but didn't allow herself to move away from him, continuing to snuggle close to him throughout the night.

Makoto unfortunately didn't get to sleep until much much later, but he didn't care. The uncontrollable feeling of joy he felt from the kiss overloaded his body.

After having some time to process his feelings, he then had a thought. Either he needed to find a way to get Kyoko dressed and discreetly out of the house by morning, or he had to explain why some girl has been laying in the same bed as him that night to his family. Not only that, but given that Makoto lived on the same street as a few academy students, no doubt some sort of rumor was going to spread at school if one of them happened to see the Ultimate Detective leaving his house alongside him in the morning.

All of this concerned him, but in the end, Makoto simply looked down at the lavender-haired love of his life, and sighed.

Oh well...