"-kemi. Wake up, Akemi," a voice was calling her, rousing her with its gentle lull.
Sunlight filtered between her lashes, casting a rosy glow behind her closed eyelids. It was warm against her face, but so was the soft cotton of her pillow, and the silken drape of her blanket over her body. There wasn't any reason to give up one for the other yet, her mind decided. She snuggled further down into the cosy cocoon.
The voice appeared to have different ideas, however.
"Akemi... It's time to wake up."
Akemi mumbled something that she herself couldn't have recalled later, and turned to bury her face in the nearest source of warmth. Yes, this was even better than her pillow. The next chuckle rumbled under her cheek.
"Come on, rise and shine, Akemi."
Warm lips, chapped but gentle, brushed across her forehead, then her cheek, and she giggled at the sensation. Stifling a cheeky grin she resolutely refused to open her eyes, even as those lips pressed softly over her eyelids.
A moment later calloused fingertips stole under the cotton top of her pajamas, making her shriek with laughter as they feathered over the sensitive skin of her sides. She squirmed, pushing the offending hand away with a resounding swat.
"Dai-kun!" she scolded with a breathless laugh as she finally opened her eyes to be greeted by those familiar and oh-so-dear smokey green orbs, crinkled at the corners with a smile that softened his usually harsher look.
"Good morning, princess," he said in a lightly teasing tone, leaning in to press a gentle kiss to her lips.
Really, she was no match for this guy, she thought fondly. "Good morning, dear." Playfully she scooted closer, resting her head against his thigh. "Can't we stay like this? It's warm."
Her partner laughed again, pinching her cheek fondly, which made her puff them out in mock petulance. "Normally I would love to, but your sister is coming today, remember?"
As if on cue, the doorbell rang.
"And that would be her, I daresay. Punctual as always."
Akemi shot upright, covers falling haphazardly around her, eyes wide as she finally remembered. Shiho had mentioned that she would drop by this morning. "And I haven't even brushed my teeth yet!"
Shuichi chuckled as she sprang out of bed, pulling the blankets half off the bed. She was rummaging through her wardrobe like a madman for some fresh clothes when her partner's voice registered from the doorway, rich with amusement.
"I'll make your sister tea while you shower."
Akemi shot him a grateful look in the midst of dashing into the bathroom. She could still hear his amused laughter trailing down the stairs even as she turned on the water.
Setting the hairbrush back down on the dressing table, she moved downstairs and followed the sound of voices to the living room.
Pausing at the doorway, she let the mesh of Shuichi's deep voice and Shiho's lighter alto wash over her. This had been her dream for a long time, to have her two most precious people together by her side. Shiho's laugh was bright and sweet in response to something Shuichi had said, a tinkling sound that made Akemi smile. Her little sister was so serious most of the time, it wasn't uncommon for people to think Shiho to be the older one.
Cornflower blue eyes glanced up to see her. "What are you standing over there for, Nee-san?"
Akemi smiled, finally moving fully into the room. "I just enjoy seeing the two of you getting along. How are you, Shiho?"
To those who didn't know her well, Shiho's expression may have been described as aloof as she accepted Akemi's warm hug. But Akemi never failed to see the twinkle of genuine amusement in her eyes. "Shuichi-san was telling me about the time you tried to flip a pancake and it hit him in the face."
"Dai-kun!" Akemi wailed, already laughing at the memory as she whirled onto him. "Why did you have to bring that up in particular!?"
Shuichi grinned back unrepentant, leaning back in his chair.
"And I'd like to see you do much better, mister," she teased.
"Never said I could," was his ever-stoic reply. Warm giggles bubbled to Akemi's lips as she took a seat next to Shiho on the sofa. By habit she reached up a hand to brush a stray hair from her sister's cheek, tucking it behind her ear. A slight pink tinge colored the younger woman's cheeks at the action.
"Nee-san, I'm not a child anymore."
Akemi giggled. Always so grown-up and proper. "I know, but you'll always be my little sister, Shiho. Now, are you taking good care of yourself? Have you been eating properly? I know how you can get when something catches your interest. Are you getting enough sleep? Don't stay up too late, okay?"
"Nee-san..." it was a close to a whine as Shiho would allow herself to make.
"Right, right. No nagging." Akemi laughed. "How's Professor Agasa?"
At the beginning, Akemi had offered Shiho a room in the house, but her sister had turned it down claiming that she and Dai-kun needed their space. Instead she was now renting a room from an old friend of their father, and as Shiho seemed fond of the old professor and the house was closer to Shiho's high school than theirs, Akemi decided to let the girl do as she liked. She knew the girl needed her own space as well.
"The professor's the same as always, tinkering with his inventions. I put him on a low-carb diet starting last week, but I'm sure he's been sneaking in chocolates."
Shiho's tone was a perfectly reminiscent of a granddaughter tired of her favorite grandpa's eccentricities, with an unmistakable fond tinge underlying the genuine exasperation.
Akemi's eyes were crinkled with the force of her smile. "That's good. I'd like to go visit him sometime soon. Send him my regards."
"I'm sure he'll like that."
The doorbell rang again. Shuichi stood, waving Akemi back to her seat. "I'll see who it is, you two can keep on talking." Tucking his hands into his pockets, he went to get the door.
When Akemi turned back, Shiho was looking at her, eyes serious. "You're happy with him."
Akemi smiled gently, touched by her sister's care. She took Shiho's hand, squeezing it lightly. "I am. More than I ever dreamed."
Shiho's expression softened. "I'm glad."
A mischievous gleam entered Akemi's eyes. "Enough about me, how about you? Now that Dai-kun isn't listening, we can have some girl talk! Do you have a boyfriend, Shiho?"
Shiho sighed, having been asked this question a million times. "Nee-san..." Akemi knew that if it were anyone else, the younger woman would have added a distinct eye-roll, but she was too polite. Really, her sister was so cute.
She put on her most innocently pleading expression. "What? I just want to know about my little sister's love life."
Said little sister was unimpressed. "Which is non-existent."
"Right~ I thought I saw you making eyes at Hakuba-kun the other day," a new voice cut in cheekily.
Shiho did roll her eyes this time, as she turned to glare at the visitor. "I do not 'make eyes' at anyone."
"But you didn't deny the part about Hakuba-kun," the newcomer pointed out with a grin, and blocked Shiho out before she could attempt a scathing reply. "Hello, Akemi-san!"
Akemi smiled. "Good morning, Masumi-chan."
Shuichi's younger sister beamed and lifted the paper box in her hand. "Kichi-nii brought over these cream puffs for us yesterday, but he had to catch a late night train to Hokkaido and said you two weren't in yesterday so he asked me to bring them over today."
"Oh thank you! That's lovely." Akemi took the box of sweets from her, setting it on the table.
Masumi turned back towards her honey-haired classmate. "Shiho-chan, you're going to the party later, aren't you?"
"Yeah."
"Oh, a party?" Akemi was interested.
"Yeap, it's Kudo-kun's birthday! He's throwing a party at his house. He invited a bunch of us, I think Hattori-kun and Kazuha-chan are coming down for it."
"So, this 'Hakuba-kun' is going to be there?" Akemi asked innocently.
"Nee-san!" This was accompanied by a pointed glare in Masumi's direction, spelling out clearly 'I'm gonna get back at you for this later', to which the girl just returned with her trademark sharp-toothed girl.
Akemi watched the exchange with a soft giggle. "Alright, alright, I won't tease you anymore. Would you like some tea, Masumi-chan? We can open the box of cream puffs to go with it."
"Thanks, Akemi-san, I'd love to! I'll help you with it."
Akemi waved the younger girl away. "No, no, you just sit down and relax, Masumi-chan."
As Akemi moved into the kitchen to get a clean cup and some plates, she smiled as Masumi's cheerful tones wove between Shuichi and Shiho's voices. She closed her eyes, letting the harmony of voices soak into her memory. All of the people in her life were happy, and so was she.
"...Hey! Hey! Hang in there!"
She opened her eyes. Turning her gaze, to the source of the voice, she met frantic blue orbs half-hidden behind large glasses. She knew those eyes, bright with intelligence beyond his physical age. It was the boy from the detective agency, the one she had told Shiho about.
Why was he here?
Her body was cold. But there was a warmth spreading through her side, which was sticky under her fingers.
Oh. She was dying, wasn't she?
The boy was speaking again, but his voice hazed in and out, like a dream.
Ah, so it had been a dream. And this was reality, wasn't it?
I'm sorry, Shiho, for leaving like Mum and Dad. Please don't cry, you know I don't like to see you sad. Don't cry, Shiho. You know I love you.
Please, God. Please let some of my dream come true.
Please let Dai-kun smile, just like he did in that dream.
Please let him tease and laugh, even though it's not to me.
Please let Shiho be free and happy, doing only the things she wants to do. Let her love and be loved.
Please let Masumi-chan and Shiho meet and become friends, and go happily to Kudo-kun's birthday party together.
Little detective... Kudo-kun... Don't make that face. You shouldn't be sad for someone like me. You'll take care of Shiho for me, won't you? I know you haven't even met her yet, but my heart tell me that you will. I can see that your eyes are kind, so I'm sure you'll be kind to her as well. That child shouldn't be sad anymore.
Please, God, let all the people I love be happy.
Please.
She closed her eyes, and fell back into a dream.