Naoto/Chie - Coba flavored - Shooting Lessons

[shiroganeheir]

It's been a while since Chie and Naoto have started talking again and growing closer. This particular day, Naoto decides that it's high time Chie learns a bit about firearms. Sneaking a few into the city from the estate, as well as the requisite ammunition, Naoto sets up a firing range behind the house, away from everything, making certain that there is zero chance that anyone would get shot.

However, in case of emergency, she does have a few first aid supplies set out, and a walkie at the ready in case they need someone with Diarama.

At the appointed time, Naoto is waiting for her friend, twirling her gun at her side idly, very like when they used to be in the TV world and she was bored.

Comments

[heavyheels]

Chie comes jogging up at the time she and Naoto agreed on to start her firearms training. Chie's never been one to use weapons other than her own two feet, but after all she's experienced, she figures that learning something new can't possibly hurt. She needs to be ready for whatever this city manages to throw at her, after all.

"Yo!" she calls out to Naoto, waving as she approaches. "I'm not late, am I?"

[shiroganeheir]

"Certainly not." Naoto smiles, one of her tiny, cheerful smiles. "I was simply making the final safety preparations." Tucking her own gun in a holster at her side, she walks over to a table with some headphones and three or four guns. "These are all firearms that I got from Daidara or in the TV world. They're slightly easier to use than normal ones, so I thought we could start there."

She picks up one of the middle-sized ones, and hands it over, grip towards Chie. "This is probably the easiest to shoot."

[heavyheels]

"Guns are pretty dangerous, huh." It's an obvious observation, but - well, when has Chie ever had a chance for such close proximity before now? Still, she accepts what Naoto hands her, holding it carefully, like something made of glass. "You sure I'm gonna do OK with this?"

[shiroganeheir]

"You will be fine, I promise."

Carefully and precisely, Naoto walks Chie through all the steps to load and fire the weapon in her hands, as well as offering aiming tips, and showing her how to stand, as well as warning about the gun's recoil.

"Alright. There's a target over there. Try shooting a couple shots towards it."

Naoto glances back to the house and calls out, "Shooting back here. Everyone stay in!"

[heavyheels]

Chie tugs a set of headphones over her ears, nodding at Naoto's instructions. "OK," she says, taking a deep breath. She holds the gun up with both hands on the grip, elbows locked, squinting at the target. She slowly presses her finger down on the trigger, heart thumping in her throat, and holds her breath as she fires. She misses the target completely, and the recoil nearly knocks her backwards off her feet.

"Sheesh!"

[shiroganeheir]

"Woah!" Naoto reaches out, catching Chie a bit as she falls from the recoil. "Recoil can really knock you over if you're not ready for it. Here. Try this."

Naoto moves beside her, gently reaching over and positioning her friends arms pointing outwards with the gun, fingers possibly lingering a miniscule amount longer than need be.

She takes a firing stance as well, pulling out her own, much larger pistol. "Position your feet like this. It's easier to take the recoil that way."

Almost lazily, Naoto pops off two shots, catching the gun's recoil, and hitting the target dead-center. "See?"

[heavyheels]

Chie laughs at herself, sheepish, as Naoto repositions her limbs. Her friend makes it look so easy, firing a gun, like it's the most natural thing to do. Chie feels a small flush in her face, embarrassed that she isn't better at this.

(It must be embarrassment, right? She's certainly not blushing from the touch of Naoto's fingertips on her skin. Right?)

"I guess I'm gonna have to practice a lot more before I get as good as you, huh, Naoto-kun?"

[shiroganeheir]

"I have practiced for many years, Chie. Do not worry. You saw how I literally fell over last week when you were attempting to train me." She laughs a bit, the pink in her cheeks deepening. It's just embarrassment, she tells herself. Right?

"Take a deep breath, and stand your ground. You will be fine."

[heavyheels]

"Right. OK." Chie nods, and takes a deep breath, but instead of standing her ground, she jogs in place for a few seconds. It's what she typically does when she's nervous, when she has a jitter of excess energy to burn, and this lesson has already left her more excitable than she's felt in weeks, possibly months.

"Here goes!" She repositions the headphones on her head, and rearranges her body into what she thinks is the right pose.

It isn't the right pose, though - when she fires, she hits a glancing blow at the target, but this time, she's blown back even harder from the recoil.

[shiroganeheir]

Naoto watches her carefully, wincing at her friend's stance, and just as she fires, quickly runs over, catching her easily in her arms. "Careful there! Perhaps... not so quick next time..." It suddenly got quite warm around Naoto, and her cheeks get even pinker.

That's not because she's holding her friend like this, right? Couldn't be. She's not exactly letting go, however.

[heavyheels]

Chie feels a sudden, intense burst of heat flicker out from her chest, up all around her neck, across her face - but why? Sure, it's embarrassing to fall over like this again. But.

It takes a moment before Chie's brain registers that Naoto's arms are wrapped around her. She slowly pushes the headphones off her burning ears, setting them to rest around her flushed neck.

"S-sorry about that," she stammers, then quickly laughs. Her stomach feels like it's lost hold of gravity, climbing up into her throat. "Um ... I thought I had it, this time." She doesn't move; she doesn't make an effort to pull out of Naoto's grasp.

[shiroganeheir]

"No, it's... fine. Quite a lot of people are thrown off-balance by something like this." There's a fluttering in Naoto's chest, one she hasn't felt for a while, and one that is is steadfastly trying to ignore at the moment. Chie wouldn't actually want her like that, right?

However, she can't seem to bring herself to let go. It's... nice, holding her like this.

[heavyheels]

"Balance ... right." Chie feels off balance in more ways than one, suddenly dizzy; she's forgotten, for the moment, how to breathe.

"I'm usually pretty good at keeping my balance." Is anything she says making sense? Chie can't tell, and honestly, doesn't care. Her attention is elsewhere - on the parts of her body where Naoto's hands currently rest.

[shiroganeheir]

"Sometimes we're all off-balance, even when we think we shouldn't be." Carefully, still holding her, Naoto brushes a bit of Chie's hair out of her face.

"Just take a deep breath and try again. I know you can do it." But that requires letting go, and Naoto might be pulling her just a bit closer without realizing it.

[heavyheels]

"E-even you?" Chie turns her head to the side, then slowly takes a half-step in toward Naoto, positioning herself so they're facing. She's unsure of what to do with her hands, standing here like this; she settles for gently placing one on Naoto's shoulder.

"Get off-balance, I m-mean?" Her tongue feels sluggish, thick, a stumbling block for the words that seem determined to keep rolling out of her mouth. She's keenly aware of how close they are; just a few small inches exist between Chie's face and Naoto's. Chie bites her bottom lip, gazing over the curves and angles of her friend's features. She doesn't meet Naoto's eyes with her own - not yet.

[shiroganeheir]

"Even me, Chie." Naoto takes a breath, carefully and gently glancing over her friend, watching her movements, and quietly memorizing her features, the lines of her face, even the careful repairs on her jacket. She bites her lip, blushing even more. It would be nothing to lean over and brush her lips against her friend's, but would that be too much? Would Chie even want that?

Gently, she reaches over and puts a hand on Chie's waist, her other hand reaching up to cover Chie's on her shoulder.

[heavyheels]

It's like electricity dancing under her skin, the sensation Chie feels at the points where Naoto's hands make contact with her. She finds herself leaning in, slowly, just a little more.

"You always seemed so sturdy," she murmurs, bringing her other hand up to the back of Naoto's shoulder. She hesitates, heart thumping in her chest, eyes flickering shut.

Don't think - feel. Chie tilts her head and leans in the rest of the way until the smallest press of her lips reaches the corner of Naoto's mouth.

[shiroganeheir]

"Even the strongest people get off-balance, it is simply the correct... tipping point."

Naoto swallows as Chie's eyes flutter shut, somehow a confirmation of what she was hoping for. As her lips find her own, Naoto turns her head just slightly so that she can gently brush her lips full against Chie's.

Her hand tightens on Chie's waist, other reaching around to the other girl's back, gently, trying not to scare her off.

[heavyheels]

Chie's not scared; somehow, standing here, kissing Naoto is the safest she's felt in months. So she doesn't pull away, but shifts closer (is there any closer to go?), slides her hand to the base of Naoto's neck, parts her lips and then pushes them back together over Naoto's.

[shiroganeheir]

Naoto's lips part as well, gently returning the kiss, letting Chie take the lead for now, holding the other girl gently but confidently.

She's not pushing, but she's clearly returning the kiss very willingly.

[heavyheels]

"Wait."

Chie exhales the word and pulls her head back, abruptly, panicky. Her heart races so fast it makes her head spin.

"Aren't you ... ?"

[shiroganeheir]

Naoto pulls back almost immediately, dropping her hands to her sides. "Am I what?"

She swallows, expression concerned. "Did I do something wrong? I apologize."

[heavyheels]

Chie's stomach sinks at that, the expression on Naoto's face, her unsure words. She hasn't done anything wrong - Chie did. (Didn't she?)

"Aren't you already with someone?"

[shiroganeheir]

"More than one person, to be precise, but they would not be concerned." Yosuke might be a bit wierded out, but that's his problem.

"If something more were to happen, I should likely speak to them, however it is not an issue."

[heavyheels]

"So ... this is OK? It's not like ... cheating?"

If something more were to happen. Chie almost doesn't hear that part, over the sound of her own hammering heartbeat.

[shiroganeheir]

Naoto shakes her head. "You need not worry. It is fine. I am not cheating on anyone by doing this."

Granted, this isn't Amat, but Chie is part of the IT, and somehow, in Naoto's mind, that makes everything alright. She has had this conversation before with people.

[heavyheels]

Chie is surprised at how relieved she feels, hearing that affirmation from Naoto that this is OK, what they're doing. Because it feels good. Right, somehow. She smiles, a fresh flush warming her cheeks, and she approaches Naoto to pull her into another kiss.

[shiroganeheir]

Naoto blushes as well, a rare true smile on her face as she leans in to kiss Chie again.

One of her hands reaches around to pull her close, the other back settling at her waist. Somehow, this feels right to Naoto, something that she would very much like some more of.

[heavyheels]

Chie hums lightly into the kiss, a sound of pure delight. One hand rests on Naoto's shoulder; the other moves to the back of her neck, fingertips resting at the edge of her hairline. For this moment, Chie is perfectly content, standing here wrapped up in Naoto's arms; everything else falls away.