Mind if IHOP Along?

Dedicated to tumblr user phantomthiefjeanne. This story would not exist without me spamming her ask box with headcanons from time to time, as well as her wonderful and very helpful feedback.

Also, a special thank you to all of my friends on the Arina Tanemura FanClub forum.

"Toudaiji-san, are you sure about this? This method of yours seems… awfully extreme." Minazuki Yamato braced himself for the frustrated rant that was sure to follow. Questioning Toudaiji Miyako rarely ended well for the person on the other end.

Miyako huffed. "Do you want to catch Sinbad or not? We have less than ten minutes to prepare ourselves for their arrival." Her icy glare left Minazuki frozen stiff from fear. If he still wore his glasses, he was pretty sure he'd be cleaning the frost off of them after that cold look. He silently thanked God for contact lenses and obeyed her commands.

"From what I gathered, Miyako has something big planned for tonight. Think you can handle it, Maron?"

"Fin, I'm Jeanne right now." The blonde thief stood tall and confident on the oak tree's branch. "And of course I can." Jeanne leapt into the air, prepared to tackle whatever obstacle stood between her and the demon.

Her rival kaitou, however, seemed less prepared for Jeanne's entry. She'd managed to land directly on top of him. "I must say, you make a lovely cushion, Sinbad," Jeanne commented. "Thanks for your help!"

"You're welcome." Sinbad winced. Jeanne wasn't sure how to advance—he'd pulled a dirty trick on her after her "surprise inspection" in the apartment of Miyako's brother a few days ago. "By the way, I'd suggest you watch your step." Sinbad grabbed her ankle and pulled Jeanne down on the ground beside him.

"At least it wasn't my ribbon you pulled," she muttered. "But I'm tired of you pulling my leg all the time."

"Give me one reason I shouldn't shred you to ribbons…"

Unknown to the thieves, Miyako and Minazuki watched their every move from the bulky vehicle stationed outside the scene of the crime. "Miyako, I can't observe this much longer. Their comebacks are horrible… Why don't they stop fighting each other and just get to what they do? That whole 'checkmate' thing."

"I'm not sure if they're fighting anymore." Miyako pointed at the monitor. "Look at the way Sinbad pulled her to the ground; he could've easily broken her ankle with the hold he had on her. He talks big, but he almost goes out of his way hurting her. Jeanne knows she holds some sort of power over him, and uses that to her advantage. I don't think they're rivals. Maybe partners to some degree?"

Almost like Nagoya-kun and Maron-san. Minazuki knew better than to voice his observations or opinions on the topic. She hadn't killed him last time, but he wasn't about to risk his life this time. Besides, everyone in the room knew better than to accuse Miyako's best friend of theft.

"CHECKMATE!" The proud exclamation startled Minazuki, who jumped a bit too high and bumped his head on the van roof. "Who got it this time?"

"Minazuki-kun, we're here to observe them tonight, and you can't even tell me who stole the damn painting?"

"Sorry, Toudaiji-san," Minazuki mumbled. "I just… got lost in thought." He flinched, preparing himself for impact once more.

His reaction didn't go unnoticed by Miyako: "Minazuki-kun, do you think I'm going to hit you or something? I'm not a monster, you know."

"Fin, catch!" Jeanne tossed her white pawn to her little companion. "Let's go." She winked at Sinbad. "I'll see you later. If I recall, you owe me a little something."

Sinbad swore under his breath. Damn, she's good. He wriggled out of the rope she'd tied him up with. This was getting ridiculous.

Once he was clear out of the apartment building and out of sight, Sinbad removed his bandanna. His transformation wasn't anywhere as drastic as Jeanne's—his hair grew a few shades darker. "Access, how much longer do I have keep doing this?"

"Doing what?"

"Fighting her every night. I hate this… being her enemy." Chiaki clenched Sinbad's headpiece in his fist. "I don't want to fight the girl I… I like." Chiaki blushed lightly.

Access mentally thanked God for his friend. Chiaki helped him feel less alone on Earth. As he learned from the moment he'd arrived, Earth is a rather strange place filled with rather strange people. Finding someone to end Jeanne's mission was a nearly impossible task since only a handful of humans could see angels. But even then, Access had no way of knowing if he and his partner-in-crime (quite literally) were compatible.

Thus far, Chiaki proved himself a steadfast roommate and friend. Sometimes, the similarities between the dark angel and kaitou were practically non-existent.

"I hear you on that one, Chiaki. But lighten up! Didn't you score a date with her?"

Chiaki smiled sheepishly. "It's not really a date. I lost a bet… and whoever lost the checkmate has to pay the next meal. We're going to go to IHOP tonight."

Access blinked, confused at the statement. "IHOP?"

"Oh, right. It's the International House of Pancakes. We're going there to eat."

"Pancakes?" Access' eyes lit up—Chiaki could have sworn his friend's eyes glowed in that moment. "I'm going, too." Before Chiaki could even begin to protest, Access quickly pointed out that it wasn't a date. The golden cat-like eyes before him took on a very innocent, cutesy appearance. As much as Chiaki wanted to tell Access no, he couldn't do it. It would be like kicking a box of newborn kittens into the sewer and leaving them to drown. How much trouble could Access be, anyways?

"Fine," sighed Chiaki.

Access whooped: "You won't regret it!"

Then why do I feel like I will? Chiaki pushed his doubts aside and began the walk home.

Maron held up two dresses—one red, one purple—before her reflection in the mirror. Neither dress was particularly fancy, but still rather cute. "Fin, which one?"

A scowling Fin shrugged. "Maron, I thought this wasn't a date?"

"It's not. It's just a dinner between… friends."

Fin flew over and landed on Maron's shoulder. She poked Maron's cheek with an impish expression. "Then why are you blushing?" Fin gasped. "Don't tell me you like Chiaki?"

"N-no, I don't. Not in that way."

Fin raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, maybe I do a little bit. I know you don't like him, but… if we weren't enemies… if I weren't so scared… maybe… just maybe…" Maron averted Fin's gaze. "…I'd date him."

Maron tossed the red one on the bed—the purple dress seemed a bit more modest in length, and more appropriate given the casual location. "Good choice, Maron. I like the color." Fin didn't like the idea of her Maron dating this guy (he could be such a creep with those wandering hands and eyes!), but Maron sounded like she had too many reservations, too many maybes, to trust Chiaki right now. Besides, the semi-angel thought, I need her to trust me more than him.

"Fin, if you're worried about me, why don't you come along? It's not a date, after all."

Fin smiled brightly, clearly pleased with the offer. "I'd be honored to be your escort."

Maron lifted the dress over her head and began to change. She caught a glimpse of a lanky silloutte gracefully leaping onto her balcony. Unable to shake off the feeling of being watched, she retreated behind her curtain. Now fully clothed, Maron stomped over to open the door to her balcony. "Chiaki, you're horrible!" she spluttered, crimson-faced. "Can't you respect a person's privacy?"

"Well, when your cute next-door neighbor forgets to close her curtains, does this 'privacy' you speak of really exist?"

Maron wanted to smack that smug smile off of Chiaki's face, but he did lose their bet… And a free meal was a free meal. I suppose I could make him pay for that comment, but… he already is paying… She allowed his comment to slide by—for now. "So, you ready to walk?"

He nodded. "Oh, I hope it's alright if Access tags along. Pancakes are his favorite, so…" Maron broke out into laughter, interrupting Chiaki's chain of thought. "Hey, what's so funny?"

"I was going to ask you the same thing; Fin's worried about me…" She hesitated; it wasn't a secret Fin disliked Chiaki, but Fin's fears seemed like they were unfounded. Maron recovered: "Staying out so late."

"Ah. Yeah, she can come," he said, successfully masking the disappointment in his voice. "Ummm… I like your dress. I mean… I like the color?"

Maron giggled. "Wow. You have such a way with words. If your good looks don't get you a girl, your compliments certainly will. But thank you—Fin picked it out, actually."

"My Fin has great taste. Purple is one of the greatest colors in existence… next to green, of course."

Fin growled. "I'm not yours, Access. And don't overthink it—it was just a coincidence."

"Good thing Maron's not yours, Fin," Chiaki said. "That means she's all mine then, right?"

"Oi, Sinbad: if you don't stop flirting, we're never gonna get there!" Access had a mission, and both kaitous were already losing focus.

"Well, you'd better listen to your partner, Sinbad," Maron teased. "Off to the elevator." She waited at the door for Chiaki. "Come on, I need to lock up!"

The moment Maron was out of hearing range, Access gave some advice to Chiaki: "I like her: smart, funny, and puts you in your place… I gotta say… Maron's a keeper." Chiaki grunted—a sound of agreement in this case—and caught up to Maron.

After traveling a few blocks to the nearest subway stop, the small group of four (two teenagers, two angels—with only the former visible to others) boarded the subway. The train had only a few passengers aboard. Considering most working adults were probably asleep around this time, most of the other passengers were younger.

Chiaki offered Maron a seat, but she declined. "And miss out on this whole experience? No way!" Her face and hands were nearly plastered to the window. "This is amazing—watching people come in and out… Say, when do we get off?"

"Next stop," Access said. Fin reached out to wipe something off of Access' face, but drew her hand back. Access looked somewhat dazed, but then understood why Fin pulled away. She'll hurt me if she touches me. Oh, but wait a second… I think she's okay in this form. Maybe she really does hate me?

"Umm… Access… there's some… drool on your face." Fin pointed at the corner of her mouth. Access ran his hand over the "afflicted area."

"Did I get it?"

"Other side, Access," she said, rolling her eyes. What an idiot.

The "idiot" grinned from pointed ear to pointed ear. Maybe I have a shot with her after all…

The train gradually came to a halt. The doors slid open, and a voice reminded the passengers to watch their step. Half of the foursome didn't need to worry about watching were their feet went; usually, finding a good spot to land on meant hopping on Chiaki's or Maron's shoulder—a simple task.

"Wow, this place is huge! It's bigger than I remember."

Chiaki yawned, unimpressed. "Maron, when's the last time you've been to Nagoya Station? It is one of the biggest train stations in the world."

Maron's enthusiasm faded. She looked down at the ground, and spoke in a very quiet voice. "Not for a very long time. Maybe… I think it was with my mom. She'd gotten into a fight with my dad, and… she needed out of the house. So we took the train out here and just walked for a couple hours."

Chiaki immediately regretted what he'd said. "I'm… I'm sorry, Maron."

"Hey… you have me, right?" Fin patted Maron's cheek.

Maron shook her head. "It was one of the few times I actually felt wanted. It's a good memory, as strange as that sounds." She looked up and smiled. "But thank you."

Chiaki knew he was blushing; it's not like he could help it. She's cute when she smiles. That's all.

Access cleared the uncomfortable silence with a very simple question: "Sinbad, where's IHOP?"

Chiaki pointed at an exit sign. "It should be just up those stairs."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Access took off at full speed, ready to witness the most beautiful sight in the world.

"He's as fast a peregrine falcon when it comes to breakfast food," Maron said. Chiaki looked puzzled. "The world's fastest bird, remember? We learned about them in biology about a week ago? This isn't ringing a bell, is it?"

"No. I was sick that day." Maron understood what he meant. Thievery wasn't easy work, but neither was homework. After a really late, exhausting, or dangerous heist, sometimes sleep needed to come first. Since neither Chiaki nor Maron wanted to fall behind in class—or fail—calling in "sick" happened.

Since the day Maron discovered Chiaki's alter ego, Chiaki and Maron tried to ensure they didn't call in sick on the same day; even though Miyako would take notes for either of them in a heartbeat, it wasn't worth the risk. People talked—and relatively few people "talk" as much as teenagers in a small town. It wasn't exactly news that their peers noticed Maron and Jeanne's similarities (or Chiaki and Sinbad's).

Fin tugged a strand of Maron's hair. "Can we please go eat?"

"I'm glad you're hungry, Fin." Maron noticed Fin's appetite waning over the last few weeks; ever since Maron found out Chiaki and Sinbad were one in the same, Fin grew grumpier and more on edge. Maron simply assumed it was because their "game" had a new and unexpected opponent. Fin works just as hard as I do, if not more… And "Sinbad" over there doesn't make it easier for either of us…

Fin scowled. "I'm not hungry, Maron. I just want you to get this date over with…"

"Fin, it's not a date! How many times do I have to tell you, Fin? I don't like him!" Maron shouted.

Chiaki put on a pair of puppy-dog eyes and pouted: "Maron, you don't like me?"

Maron buried her face in her hands. "God save me from these two."

God heard Maron's plea, but merely watched. Oh, how he wanted to intervene directly to help her. But Maron—like all those on Earth—was out of his reach, out of his control.

Instead, an anguished howl saved her. "It's Access!" Fin rarely heard Access Time cry; he was usually enjoying himself too much to even think about shedding a tear. She wondered if he cried when she Fell. He's probably angry with me… but I did it for him. Which makes it worse, I guess...

Maron, Chiaki, and Fin (hitching a ride atop Maron's head) dashed up the stairs.

"Sinbad… you… you LIAR!" Access cried.

Maron's heart went out to the poor little guy. "Hey, there, there Access…" she picked him up and held him close to her chest. (To this day, Chiaki will never admit he was jealous of Access in that moment; okay, maybe a little bit. But only a little.) "You're not the only person Chiaki's lied to." She glared at Chiaki, whose jaw dropped at the accusation.

"Maron, I had my reasons, and I haven't lied to you again, have I?"

"Well, you've lied to Access, so how can I know if I can trust you?"

He held up his hands, surrendering. "Okay, okay, that's fair… but Access, what have I lied to you about?"

Maron could barely understand the tiny dark angel between his sobs. "H-he told me… this was a house of pancakes… it's a normal building."

"Oh my God." Chiaki held his hand up to his forehead. "Access, it's not an actual house made of pancakes…"

"Don't take his name in vain, Sinbad! I thought IHOP would be the closest thing to heaven on earth… but it's just an ugly, dingy building. There's no fountain of maple syrup or a stack as high as the Tokyo Tower. Who names a building the international house of pancakes that's not a house of pancakes? Whoever they are should burn in hell for lying about IHOP. No, wait—they deserve demonic possession just for that. Which is worse, possession or hell? Whichever is worse… that's what that jerk deserves."

Maron clamped her mouth shut in an attempt to smother her laughs. Poor Chiaki… she thought. Chiaki couldn't get the hysterical little angel to understand what IHOP actually was. The more Chiaki tried to explain, the more upset Access became. "Boys, I'm hungry… aren't we here to eat?"

Chiaki and Access stopped going back and forth. "That's right, Access. We're here to eat."

"But how can we eat?" Access asked, sniffling. "There's nothing to eat out here."

Maron placed Access on her shoulder beside Fin, who scooted closer to Maron and further away from Access. "You have to trust me, okay?"

Chiaki mouthed the words "thank you" to Maron as he opened the door for her. Okay, maybe he's more of a gentleman than I thought…

The restaurant was busier than Maron had anticipated. While she couldn't see how full the place was from where she stood, she could definitely hear several people chatting. "Table for four, please?" The waitress in charge of seating customers scanned for two other people, but the teens standing in front of her were the only people in sight. "Sorry, two. I meant table for two."

"There's a twenty minute wait…" Chiaki flashed the waitress a heart-melting smile. (It worked on most girls—Maron so far proved immune to most of his charms. This was one of them.) "…But I suppose I can make an exception." She gathered two menus. "Follow me." The waitress ushered them into a small booth. "Your server will be with you momentarily." She promptly left the two of them to look over the menu.

Chiaki knew Maron was going to chew him out for that. In the hopes of changing the subject, he picked up his menu and asked, "So… what are you going to get? It's on me, so… don't hold back."

"I'm in the mood for French toast."

"French toast? Talk about predictable," Chiaki said, snickering.

"Excusez-moi?" Her pronunciation and accent sounded (disturbingly) natural. Maron wasn't sure if her solid knowledge of French came from class, from her previous incarnation, or a mixture of the two. "I'm not predictable. If anyone's predictable, it's—"

"Me! Because I'm a flirt who seduces women to get whatever he wants." Chiaki smirked, perhaps too pleased with his impression of Maron. "See? Predictable."

Maron narrowed her eyes. "Chiaki Nagoya, don't you dare change the subject."

"Ah-hem." The sound of a man clearing his throat saved Chiaki from Maron's wrath. "I'm going to be your server tonight. Your boyfriend isn't giving you any trouble, is he?"

Maron turned bright red. "Eh? He's not my boyfriend!"

"Well, he's missing out on a beautiful young lady." The waiter winked, cleared his throat once more, and then asked what Maron and Chiaki wanted to order. Predictable or not, Maron still ordered French toast; and Chiaki ordered pancakes—two stacks; he planned to save one for Access.

Maron thanked the waiter, while Chiaki silently plotted the waiter's slow and painful death (probably by forks. Knives could be slow, but rather cliché. Spoons were probably a complete waste of time, so why bother using those at all?).

"Okay, why is it you're allowed to hit on every girl within fifteen feet, and a cute waiter can't even look at me a certain way?"

Fin yawned. "Maron, I'm getting sleepy. I'm going to fly around for a little bit."

"M-me, too!" Access volunteered, eager to spend time with Fin—if she'd let him, anyways. Fin yawned once more, too tired to protest.

Chiaki gave Access a thumb's up; Access then returned the gesture, and followed Fin. "What was that all about?" Maron asked. She couldn't help but feel suspicious for some reason or another.

"Wishing him luck with Fin. He really likes her."

"Did Access just mimic you? Or is he wishing you good luck with me?"

Chiaki responded a bit too quickly: "He's mimicking me. Um… he asked for some advice for asking out Fin, and…" He could tell Maron wasn't buying it. (Chiaki's success rate with the girls in their class was much lower than he advertised. Once they realized Chiaki wasn't as mysterious as they thought, many just saw him as a handsome face without a whole lot of substance. After a certain point, he didn't open up to them about much.) Still, Maron didn't press any further.

"And to answer your question, I don't flirt with every girl within a fifteen-foot radius."

"Ten feet, then?"

"I don't flirt without good reason. I did get us in here early."

Maron said nothing.

"What, no sarcastic remarks? No calling me a pervert?" he snapped his fingers a few times. Chiaki was no longer the center of Maron's attention; she focused on something—or someone—else in the room. "Hello, anyone in there? Earth to Maron?"

Maron hid her face behind her hands and peeked through her fingers. "Chiaki, I think I just saw Miyako and Minazuki-kun! What do we do?"

Chiaki pulled her hands away from her face. "Act natural. You're Maron. I'm Chiaki. We have nothing to hide."

Nothing to hide, huh? Then that makes me Kaitou Cleopatra, Miyako thought. Her heart ached at the sight of the two people she loved most. Clearly the two belonged together. Maron seemed much happier and livelier around Chiaki; and it was pretty clear he only had eyes for Maron at this point. As strange and irrational as it sounded, Miyako felt as though Maron and Chiaki knew each much longer than they truly did.

"Something wrong, Toudaiji-san?" Minazuki asked. She had been far too quiet lately—almost passive in her attempts to catch Jeanne ever since the kaitou checkmated her brother's painting. And she'd hardly spoken a word to him during dinner.

"Of course not," Miyako snapped. "I'm just hungry. I'm also wondering what's taking our order so long. That's all."

Minazuki's face lit up. "Toudaiji-san, it's Maron-san!" His excitement deflated when he saw who sat across from her. "And Nagoya-kun." Even though I don't like him, I can be a gentleman about it. Girls like gentlemen, right?

He looked to her for permission. "I'm not your mom," Miyako said. "I'm not going to boss you around all of the time."

Minazuki relaxed upon hearing those words. "Well, in that case…" He stood up and pushed in his chair. Miyako felt a twinge of jealousy watching Minazuki-kun saunter over to her friends. Even Minazuki-kun loved Maron. She's my best friend, but… sometimes I feel like she has everything I ever wanted.

Miyako hated herself for that thought. She knew why Maron often turned down dinner with her boisterous family—it made returning to a quiet, empty apartment very difficult for her. If anything, I have everything Maron wants.

And now… it looked like she was the one who was going to eat alone.

"Nagoya-kun, Maron-san, why don't we all eat together?" she heard Minazuki-kun suggest. "I don't know if either of you noticed, but Toudaiji-san's not been herself lately."

Miyako smiled weakly. Someone… someone noticed me. Minazuki-kun was no Chiaki, but he was quick to observe—no, to understand her feelings. He doesn't know the motive behind my feelings, but that's fine. It'll keep Maron and Chiaki safer that way.

The table for two became a table for four: Chiaki, Maron, Miyako, and Minazuki (seated in that respective order around a square table) waited for their food's arrival.

"What brings you guys here tonight?" Chiaki asked. He knew the answer, but it didn't hurt to play along.

"Toudaiji-san and I had two thieves to catch."

"So, this is a celebration dinner?"

"N-no. They… uh… got away. Again," Minazuki said. "We were just tired and hungry. It's a Saturday night, so… why not? And what about you and Maron-san?"

Never one to miss out on an opportunity to tease Maron, Chiaki quickly spoke before she could: "It's a date." His words resulted in a kick from under the table from Maron, who quietly hissed his name.

Miyako knew Chiaki well enough to know he was teasing Maron. She was eager to join in on the fun: "Maron, why didn't you tell me you two are dating? That's big news!"

"We are not dating." Maron paused between each word for emphasis. "He lost a bet. Loser pays for the meal."

"Are you going to pay for all of us, Nagoya-kun?" Minazuki received three stunned stares for his joke. "What?"

Miyako, the first to recover, replied: "Damn, Minazuki-kun. I don't think I've ever seen you tease anyone like that before." Maron and Chiaki merely nodded.

Minazuki shrugged. "When you work with Toudaiji-san nearly every night, you need to develop a good sense of humor. Better to laugh her insults off than to cry about them." Miyako punched him in the arm. "Toudaiji-san, that hurt," he whined.

"Good."

The waitress who seated Maron and Chiaki stopped at their table. "Excuse me, but I have some bad news about those pancakes you ordered. This sounds impossible, but our pancakes keep disappearing out of thin air. Do you want anything else instead? I'm so sorry."

"Don't be sorry," Chiaki replied. (Naturally, he wore his heart-melting smile.) "Could you please give me a minute or two?"

Access… That little angel had better start praying to his "God" and that goddamn Riru-sama he always talks about because he's about to go through hell on Earth… "Thou shalt not steal" my ass.

"I have a feeling Kaitou Sinbad might be behind this one," Minazuki muttered, eyeing Chiaki suspiciously.

In an attempt to prevent an oncoming fit of giggles, Maron sipped her water in the middle of a laugh, creating a choking sound. Miyako smacked Maron's back.

"Feel better now?" Miyako asked.

"Never better," Maron croaked.

Chiaki shook his head. "Nah, I'm pretty sure he only steals paintings that Jeanne targets." (Maron considered kicking him under the table a second time, but doing so now would be too risky.) "Besides, I have a feeling he's not the biggest fan of pancakes." Which was true—if it weren't for Access, he would probably learn to cook something else. But as it was, Access loved pancakes almost as much as he loved Fin (almost), and they were easy to make and store for later. Luckily Maron cooked au gratin for Chiaki at least once a week; he learned how to store it in Tupperware and how to ration it for a few days. Chiaki had many skills; cooking was not one of them.

Miyako stepped in, thus saving Chiaki from what might have become a series of verbal accusations: "No, Chiaki's right. As far as our records show, he and Jeanne only target paintings." Miyako's eyes blazed. "We might have a new phantom thief to catch." Minazuki felt his heart race listening to her determined voice. It looks like Toudaiji-san's spark reignited.

"How do you still have so much energy, Miyako?" Maron asked. She began to yawn, but (unsuccessfully) fought it off. "It's getting late. I should probably walk home." Instead of getting up to walk out the door, she rested her head on Chiaki's shoulder. Her eyelids grew heavy; she couldn't keep them open much longer.

"Maron?" Miyako hadn't seen her best friend this exhausted in a couple years. "Maron, are you feeling okay?"

"Never better," Maron lied. "Is it cold in here?" She shivered a little bit.

"She's almost asleep." Chiaki felt her forehead. "And she's a little warm. I think she's got a slight fever. Nothing a good night's rest couldn't fix." Chiaki pulled out a wad of cash from a wallet he hid in his jean's pockets. "I'll cover your meals, too. Tell the waitress to keep the rest." He handed the money to Miyako. "I have no doubt you'll be a future detective on the force, so I trust you to give this to the waitress. I can't imagine a police officer stealing, you know?"

Ha, he hasn't heard that old story… Miyako smiled as she recalled the time Maron saved her from false accusations of stealing all those years ago. "Of course. And Chiaki?"

"Yeah?"

"Take good care of her." Miyako nearly surprised herself with the solemnity of her words. Even though Miyako had no intention of giving up on Chiaki quite yet, she had to know he would care for her best friend.

"I promise I will," he replied, just as—if not more—seriously as Miyako.

He nudged Maron, who barely stirred. "Do I need to carry you home?" he asked her quietly enough that only she (and maybe those pesky angels) could hear him.

"No," Maron mumbled.

"Well, that's too bad." Chiaki scooped her up into his arms. He marveled at how light she was. "You couldn't possibly weigh much more than a feather." He carried her out the door and back into the city.

"Chiaki, you don't need to do this." Maron tried wriggling out of his hold, but gave up after it didn't loosen.

"You're right. I don't need to do this. I want to do this."

Maron snuggled closer to Chiaki's chest. He's warm. "Thank you." She heard his heartbeat quicken for a few beats, and then slow to its normal pace. She was almost asleep by the time Chiaki carried her down the stairs to Nagoya Station. Her purse vibrated. She already knew what it was. "Can you get it?"

"Ummm… My hands are a little full right now."

"I've got it." Maron, still in Chiaki's arms, pulled her rosary out of her purse. "Fin, what is it?"

Fin sounded stressed and annoyed, but also maliciously delighted: "You'll never guess what Access did tonight."

"We already know," Maron and Chiaki groaned in unison.

"Put Access on, Fin," Chiaki commanded.

"I don't take orders from you."

Maron sighed. "Put him on, Fin."

"Anything for you, Maron!" Fin replied, always more than ready to help out her Maron. They heard the clatter of falling pots and pans and Fin screaming for Access.

"Remind me to not end up on her bad side," Chiaki muttered. (Maron decided it was best not to mention he already was on Fin's bad side at this moment.)

The cacophony died down the moment Access began to talk: "Yo, Sinbad! I had the best night ever. I had the best pancakes in the world; they are of international quality. I still think they need to rename the joint because the name is misleading. You know, once all of this demon checkmating is done and over with, we should start stealing pancakes from every International House of Pancakes on Earth. Right, Fin?"

"Don't drag me into this!" (Something fell to the ground and shattered in the background.)

"Fin, you said you liked the strawberry ones with whipped cream…"

"Those were the only good ones," she admitted.

"Also, do you guys have any idea why it's called whipped cream? There's anti-itch cream, but I've learned the hard way that kind of cream doesn't taste very good…"

Chiaki felt the girl he held shiver. He had to get their attention and fast. "Access. Fin. Maron and I are at Nagoya Station; we're about to go home. Maron has a fever; I think she's had too many late nights. I don't think it's anything too serious, but she needs to get some rest. I don't want to leave her out much longer."

"Maron's sick?" Fin gasped. "Access, I need to go."

"Say no more; you're stuck with me. See you at Maron's place, Sinbad!"

The rosary's light faded, confirming that the two angels were en route. Chiaki heard the train breaks screech to a stop. He felt Maron tug on his sleeve. "You're not going to take advantage of my sick day to checkmate, are you?"

"Hey, I only steal the paintings you target. If Jeanne doesn't show, Sinbad doesn't show, either."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

Maron seemed satisfied with this response and clung tighter to Chiaki.

Ever so careful not to wake up the girl sleeping sound in his arms, Chiaki stepped into the light of the train.

"Toudaiji-san, do you think it was a good idea to let Nagoya-kun take Maron-san home? I could've taken her home."

Miyako quietly counted the money Chiaki had left her. "If Maron trusts Chiaki, then I do, too. I don't know if you've noticed, but she's the only girl he really, really notices."

"That's not true," Minazuki said. "He notices you, too."

"Yes, but it's not the same. He sees me as a friend. Nothing more."

Minazuki felt somewhat indebted to Sinbad. If it weren't for that kaitou (and trying to help out Maron-san), he wouldn't have gotten to know Toudaiji-san. She wasn't an easy person to get along with, but she was someone you'd always want to have on your side. ""That's his loss. Besides, Maron-san is lucky to have a friend like you."

"Ready to pay?" the waitress asked.

Miyako handed her the wad of cash. "Keep the change." That's more than enough money to pay for at least a week's worth of pancakes. She didn't share that observation with Minazuki-kun. She thanked her quietly before exiting the building.

"Toudaiji-san, why don't I walk you home?"

Miyako laughed heartily. "You're a riot, Minazuki-kun. No one dares attack the daughter of the head detective."

Minazuki knew better than to disagree, but this time, he summoned a bit of courage to at least say something. "Hey, Toudaiji-san… I've noticed you haven't exactly been yourself lately. I know something's wrong, and… if it's okay… ummm… is there anything I can do to help? If you want to talk about it…"

Miyako bit her lip. She wanted to talk about Jeanne and Maron more than anything. She had tried denying what she'd known to be true for so long… but after Jeanne saved her life and restored order back to her family, she knew Maron and Jeanne were not two different people, but one in the same.

Maron hadn't told her the truth; and only if Maron gave her permission to talk, she would talk. Miyako had no such permission; for now, she would have to continue on, alone. "Minazuki-kun, that's very sweet, but… right now, I'm not ready to talk about it. I don't know if I will be, but… I do appreciate the gesture."

He blinked, unsure of what else to say. Minazuki-kun was at a loss for what to say. It wasn't the first time he didn't know how to approach a girl, but for now, silence seemed acceptable. But actions are louder than words…Minazuki offered one more time: "Toudaiji-san, let's go home. Together."

"If you insist." Miyako wasn't sure where the words came from, but they certainly didn't come from Minazuki-kun's mouth. "And… Minazuki-kun?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

Note: This story was originally posted on my AO3 account a few months ago. I meant to post this here, but I didn't until now. Oops.