In Vodka Veritas by littlelinguistme
Written for Day 3 of CoAi Week 2018 on Tumblr! Prompt: Poison/Alcohol
Disclaimer: Please don't sue me. All recognizable elements belong to Gosho.
"We've had enough of you two!"
"We're sick of being your go-betweens."
"We are not messengers-"
"-or toys for you two to share." A chorus of yeahs echoed not-so-little Ayumi's sentiments.
Hands on her hips, and armed with a glare that is more pout than anything, Ayumi isn't that intimidating. She's barely over 1.6m, after all, but when she's flanked by two very tall boys, arms crossed and cross, then the image sticks, doesn't it?
"Alright guys? We've all been best friends since we were 7 years old; it's been FIFTEEN years, OK? We're not going to lose either of you two over whatever petty argument you've had this time."
Two heads, one neatly curled and one horrendously mussed, steal a glance at one another before turning their entire bodies away from each other. They refuse to be even cordial. Real mature, guys.
"Hey, we're talking to you both." Oh, Genta's mad he's getting ignored.
"C'mon, let's be mature about this. We're all adults here." The level-headed one speaks! And he's right. At twenty-two, all of them are graduating from undergrad and are on their way into real adulthood (Genta, Ayumi and Conan) or grad school which is a totally different kind of school experience imo (Ai and Mitsuhiko).
Silence… awkward.
"Ai-chan, please?" Wow, are they really gonna make that nice girl beg? She tries again, with the other 'friend.' "Conan-kun?"
"What are you guys even fighting about? It's been two months and you haven't said a word to each other!" Genta out here, asking the real questions. He steps up to the table and puts a hand on Conan's shoulder (A/N: did that make anyone kya? does anyone even ship this?). "Is losing a best friend really worth it?"
Silence…
.
.
.
A sigh. (A/N:gasp!)
"Get over it loser; they're worried about us." That's the strawberry-blonde one. She's turned around now and looks impatient as shit. She's probably trying to get this over with faster so she can go back to ignoring him. Thoughts?
The one with the aforementioned messy hair, aka Conan Edogawa, aka Shinichi Kudo but shhh no one knows about that except for you, me and, Ai, and maybe like a dozen others...actually it's easier to list all the people who don't know, so outta the main characters who don't know, its the detective boys and…. pretty much Ran, but anyway, that dude, he just scoffs.
Before Ai can answer, Mitsuhiko's ripping into Conan. "You're being ridiculous, Conan. Ai is trying to be mature here and save your fifteen-year best friendship." They sure are throwing around the 15YBFF thing around a lot… it's almost like the author's tryna to force the setting onto you or something.
"She's impossible! I tried fixing things with her last week and all she did was mock me!"
"I did not. You weren't being sincer-"
"You just never let things go-"
"Don't interrupt me, detective."
"ENOUGH." Genta slams both his hands on the table for emphasis. "You two need to stop being so petty and have a real conversation."
Ayumi comes up and rubs his back to calm him down (oulalaaa). "I hate seeing you two like this. You used to be so close! I just want things to go back to the way things were."
"We all do!" Mitsuhiko echoes.
"We called you here to my apartment today to make sure you both get everything completely off your chests. We're all going our separate ways soon and we want to make sure everyone's gonna keep in touch." Sweet Ayumi is definitely the same person she's always been.
"And so, to facilitate that-"
Mitsuhiko hastily pulls off his backpack and digs around. Conan and Ai hear the rustle of a plastic bag and the distinct sound of liquid moving around a glass bottle and are wholly unsurprised and unimpressed when the freckled boy- still Mitsuhiko, don't get lost on me -pulls out two 750ml bottles of *coughbottomshelfcough* New Amsterdam Lemon Citrus Flavored Vodka.
"- we bought this for you." They hear the clink of two mismatched shot glasses.
"And you can't leave until you deal with yourselves." The boy with the bald spot glares at both of his troublemaker friends again. He's fit now, by the way.
"We'll be right next door if you need us, okay? We're just gonna give you some privacy." Ayumi and Mitsuhiko/Genta's apartments are right next door to each other, but since everyone has keys to both, it was becoming more of a shared space than anything else.
The three moved their way towards the door. Genta had one last dramatic menacing augury to portend.
"Y'all better work things out. Or else." lol
And then there were two.
S
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"... We wouldn't be in this mess if you had just accepted my apology last week. Why do you have to be such a drama queen?"
She huffs. And puffs. XD no im kidding, just huffs. "Like I said-"
He's rolling his eyes.
"-you clearly weren't sincer-"
screeeeeeeeech
What the hell? What's going o- Oh.
An intercom sounds from god knows where, carrying Ayumi's voice with it.
"That's no good Ai-chan. Conan-kun is trying to reach out to you, okay? And you can't judge other people's sincerity like that. You need to trust him and take his word that he's sincere. Deep down-"
screeeeeeeeech
"Ayumi! We're supposed to be giving them privac-" ← Mitsuhiko
screeeeeeeeech
"I just wanted to help them ou-" ← Ayumi
screeeeeeeeech
"Sorry guys, continue." ← Mitsuhiko
screeeeeeeeech
"We'll be listening-"← Genta
screeeeeeeeech
"Not that closel-"← Ayumi
screeeeeeeeech
"And watching." ← Genta
screeeeeeeeech
"There's nothing to watch!" ← Mitsuhiko
screeeeeeeeech
And then there were two. Again.
S
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Conan gets up, suddenly.
"Where are you going? Kojima's going to tackle you if you try to leave."
"I'm disabling the intercom!" He mumbles to himself, "what the hell, where did they get-" He looks under the sink where he swears he heard the sound coming from "-an intercom system?"
"Hakase made it last month." Oh. Conan doesn't know because he hasn't been by to visit the professor in the last two months, because he was fighting with his pretty adopted daughter and all…
The boy doesn't reply, he just continues rummaging around Ayumi's cabinets.
"..." Ai rolls her eyes in exasperation. "It's in the china cabine-."
"Why didn't you tell me if you've already found it?" In a burst of overreaction, he flings, yes flings, the poor cabinet open.
"You didn't as-."
"Why the hell would I have to ask? You clearly understan-" The soccer maniac detective flips the intercom speaker around looking for the 'OFF' switch.
"Don't. Interrupt. Me."
"wHY are you the most infuriating person-" omg he throws the speaker at the wall. It splinters into, like, a lot of pieces.
"Don't. Disparage me. Why are you the rudes-" Redhead's eyebrows narrow and she stands, readying herself to leave.
"There you go again!" He throws his arms up in exasperation. A big sigh later and he's crossing the room, walking straight past her and the dining table into the adjoining living room. The door to leave the apartment is just past him so Haibara, who was ready to go just a moment ago, stays where she stands.
"There I go what again?" ….don't look at me, I'm right here with you… Conan rubs at his temples.
"Using 'manners' as a way to push people away from you-"
"What? I do not." She leans on the table, looking at him strangely. "Did you hear what the kids said earlier? Fifteen years of friendship. Best friendship. I'm not pushing people away."
"Yes, you are. You call everyone by their last names still. You're overly polite to everyone. Still. After all this time! Everyone feels the same way, you know. Me, the professor, Ayumi, Genta, Mitsuhiko."
"You don't know how the kids fee-"
"Yes! I do! You know why? Because I talk to them. As equals. I don't think of them as kids anymore. We've grown up alongside them for so long, Haibara. It's been 15 years. What are yo… Wh-" He sputters when he's emotional.
"I just like my space."
"Why do you need so much space? Just why are you keeping so much distance for, Haibara? It's been 15 years. No one, is looking for us anymore. Wh- There's no one left holding on to who we used to be."
"...You don't know that, Kudo."
Conan makes a garbled noise of frustration and makes a mad grab for one of the bottles. Finishing a long, hard swig, he clearly enunciates, "Kudo. Is. Dead. He doesn't exist anymore." Another drink. And he plops down in Ayumi's kitchen chair.
And there it is. Her biggest failure. Her greatest sin. Or, you know, something like that. She's got a few issues, ya feel?
She looks away. I mean I would too… She grabs the other bottle and takes a long pull. Like, it was several gulps. I bet that ish burns…. I bet she can hold her liquor better than Conan...
"It's my fault. I know, I'm so-"
"You seriously need to stop apologizing. I'm over it. Ran is over it. My parents, are over it. My name is Conan Edogawa and I've built an entire life already." Another swig.
"Yes but you could have been-"
"I don't need or want what my life could've been as Kudo Shinichi. All he had were fangirls and lackeys and-"
"You had Mouri-san." Gulp.
"Ran. Her name is Ran. You've known her for fifteen years. And I. still. have. her! I see her literally twice, thrice, a week!" Another mouthful-how many is that now?
"..."
"I need you to let Shinichi Kudo go. Move on with your life."
"You don't understa-"
"No! I do understand. I understand you perfectly. I've spent the last decade and a half at your side and you, mine. And I've changed so much. But you just see me, and them, as the same people as when you first came to us."
She doesn't say anything. She can't say anything. He continues. She drinks.
"You refuse to believe anything I have to say because you think you know better. And like, you may have, back then, but none of your thoughts are true for any of us anymore, if they ever were. We've watched you be stuck as the same person in the same place for all this time and I'm tired of you pushing me away with your fake politeness every time."
He's out of breath by the time he finishes his monologue. tbh same. I need a nap.
"Look at me, Haibara." She doesn't. "Ai." C'mon girl. He's practically beggingggg! "Please? I've been watching you this whole time. I just want you to see me, all of us, for who we are, right now." He reaches for her hand on the bottle.
Finally, finally, she caves, letting out a harsh breath.
She shakes her head, letting him take the bottle. "How can I not think of them as kids? They don't even know how to buy good liquor."
He laughs. I laugh. It's funny.
"Yeah, and who in their right mind takes shots of vodka? Is it too much to ask for a mixer?"
Her lips break into a smile. How beautiful, he thinks...probably. I wish. I ship it.
"They're good ki-uh…erm," gasp! Will she change? She starts again. "They're good people."
They sit in companionable, if slightly awkward silence for a while before he stands and walks-I mean wobbles-to the fridge. "What kinda juice do you think she has? I could probably drink you under the table before Ayumi and Co. come back."
She laughs again, and it is more wholehearted this time. "Apple would go well, K-Conan." His smile is brilliant, even if he is tipsy.
"Hmm… there's nothing in here but I can run to the store down the way." It takes him a couple adorable tries to get his shoes on properly but suddenly, all too soon, he's walking towards the door.
My girl stops him.
"You know..." she begins. He looks back over his shoulder. "I don't tell you things unless you ask because... you like figuring things out… I don't want to spoil the fun...for you..."
And he knows she's trying to say, me too, I've been watching you too.
He leaves with a wave knowing that everything between them, between all of them, is gonna be just fine. Which is great. He couldn't live without her now anyway. None of them could.
Word Count: 2104