A/N: literally just pulled this out of my arse because my previous two fics for this prompt went to hell. So this is the third plot I've started for this forsaken prompt. A shoutout to jack aka kandros who beta-ed the crap out of both prompts!
Disclaimer: don't sue me for title piracy, i just happen to love that show.
Dedication: To Poe, who could easily fit in my pocket.
Prompt 2: Protect
lovely complex
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She finds him waiting by the school's gates, eyes shut close as he leans against a wall with his hands hidden deep inside the pockets of his navy blue uniform.
The strawberry blonde stops to look at the boy with curiosity. Tilting her head to the side, she lets one corner of her lips curl up with unconcealed amusement when she notices the small puffs of breath coming out of his lips as his chest heaves softly.
"Kudo,"
Her voice breaks through the placid quietness of the empty street. A bit startled, the young detective's eyes flutter open as they find focus in the girl before him .
"Ah— Haibara," He greets with a rather raspy voice.
"What are you doing, sleeping here? You're going to catch a cold."
"I wasn't sleeping!" Shinichi protests, his face turning crimson. He steps away from the wall he'd been leaning on and pretends to smooth some imaginary creases on his blazer, "I was just resting my eyes."
She raises one quizzical brow.
"Here, in the middle of the street?"
"I'm on the pavement!"
"Which totally doesn't make you look like a hobo." She deadpans.
He glares.
"Why were you not-sleeping out here in the cold anyway?"
He seems hesitant. Absentmindedly, his fingers fidget around the metal hook attached to the strap of his schoolbag, as if considering what to say. When he shifts his gaze to look at her, his eyes are charged with a kind determination that feels almost accusatory in a strange way.
"I was waiting for you!"
"For me?" Her brows furrow as she stares back with concern, and realization dawns upon her like a ton of bricks falling in her chest, "Why, is Hakase okay?"
"What? No!" Shinichi winces, waving his hands frantically in a denying gesture,"I mean— yes, he's okay, but that's not why I— Argh! This wasn't supposed to go like this..."
Shiho lets out a relieved sigh. Shinichi ruffles his own hair in frustration.
"Then what do you want from me?"
He seems taken aback by her bluntness— hurt, even. It makes her wonder.
"Honestly, " Shinichi huffs, and an endearing pout follows. He shifts his weight, cobalt blue eyes looking at anywhere but her face, "I just wanted to walk with you home."
Staring at the the boy with disbelief, the scientist narrows her eyes suspiciously as if waiting for him to come clean from the lie, which causes him to roll his eyes. He doesn't bother explaining. Instead, he rolls one shoulder and nods his head towards the other side of the street.
"Come on, I'll lead the way."
Shiho scoffs, "Ah, excuse me. I think I know the way back to my own house."
"Yes, yes." Shinichi concedes, and prompts her to follow, "Now, don't be difficult. We live next door now, so what's the problem? Hurry up, slowpoke."
She tilts her head back a little, eyes rolling with exasperation, and grudgingly follows behind him, "You don't have to just because we live next door, Kudo."'
"Well, I want to." He shrugs, eyes fixing on her as they walk through the quiet little streets, "I never see you anymore, Haibara. We haven't really talked since the beginning of the school year."
"You come to our class every single break." She retorts, shooting him a meaningful look, "And you bring your flock of fans with you, too. It's annoying, you know? All they do is scream as if you were miles away."
His brows furrow, yet his lips curl into a knowing smirk.
"Is that why you've been ignoring me all the time?"
She doesn't answer the question.
"And also during lunchtime! Enjoying a peaceful meal without a hoard of screaming girls surrounding our table seems like a luxury nowadays."
"Don't exaggerate! It's normal for a girl or two to come say hi. And it's not as if you don't get cornered by random guys after class too!
"Oh?" She feigns innocence, "Was that before or after you told all of them that I'm terrifying?"
Embarrassment crawls up his face. He looks away, mortified.
"They were getting out of line, following you everywhere!"
"Ah, and thus came the white knight to the damsel's rescue? Seriously Kudo, I can take care of myself."
"Of course I know you can take care of yourself, I just don't like that you think you have to all the time."
She snorts humorlessly, "Then what do you suggest Kudo, relying on you?"
"Well, for a change, yeah! You could do that." He retorts with an offended pout.
They exchange a puzzled look that seems to last forever, and an awkward silence follows after that. They walk a couple of blocks that strained atmosphere.
"You look cold." He finally says after an excruciating ten minutes of silently throwing furtive looks at each other and pretending not to notice.
"I am cold, thank you very much for asking. I don't suppose you have a spare coat stuffed in your back pocket that you can lend me?"
Shinichi makes a gesture to take off his jacket, but she declines. It makes the boy huff with indignation. But before she can even utter a protest, his fingers circle around her left hand and clutches it tight against his palm. He stuffs their intertwined hands inside his blazer's pocket to protect it from the chilly wind.
Shiho blinks at the sudden gesture, too surprised to react. His hand is warm against her shivering skin, his grip firm but gentle, filling her heart with warmth and softness. It draws her mind blank, and she can't think of one single good reason to ask him to let go.
"Um— why are we holding hands?" She asks half-mockingly, half-tentatively.
"Because you said you were cold." He says curtly, staring straight ahead, "Now shut up and walk."
"Jeez. What kind of attitude is that?"
"Sorry."
He sounds genuine —soft, even. And the swift change of attitude takes her by surprise. Shinichi peers at her from the corner of his eyes and, for no apparent reason, blushes a deep shade of pink. At the sight of him, she blushes too. It's absolutely ridiculous.
She doesn't know how much time passes or how many corners they turned with her hand tightly tucked inside the warmth of his pocket, but— ah, it does feel nice. And with his fingers tenderly brushing over hers and raising her heart palpitations, she suddenly feels safe, she feels like—
"—home."
"Huh?"
"We're home."
"Ah. Thanks for the escort."
Awkwardly, she retrieves her hand back from his grip, but his warmth lingers in her skin, her chest.
"Oh, I almost forgot…" Shinichi says, rummaging through the contents of his schoolbag until he finds what he's looking for. A small heart-shaped box that's unmistakably—
"So, this— for you."
She seems appalled at the offering. All sense of fuzziness gone, she winces, "I don't want your leftovers, Kudo."
"They aren't leftovers!" He almost shouts, face flustered red, "It's a full box."
"That's even worse. Imagine what the poor girl who gave you these would feel like if she knew you didn't even try—"
"I made them." He clarifies, his face so red he puts the setting sun to shame.
Heh?
Her eyes flicker back and forth from his face to the pink heart-shaped box still on his hand.
"You made these? By yourself?" She asks incredulously.
"Yes, woman. I made these. By myself. With my own two hands. Now will you accept the stupid chocolates or should I just throw—"
"Thank you." She snatches the box from his hands a little to fast, and they both blush profusely.
"Y-Your welcome."
When their eyes meet, they're fast to avert their gaze. What feels like an eternity passes by before either of them knows what to say next.
"Why, though?" Her fingers toy with the pink ribbon wrapped around the box, "Why the sudden—"
"It's White Day."
"I've known you for nine years. And you've never—" She asserts, "Why now?"
"Does it matter?" He tries, unsuccessfully, to laugh it off, "I just felt like it, am I not allowed?"
"No, you're not." She declares, and all color drains from his face. Her eyebrows knit together into a frown, yet the smile on her lips doesn't fade away, "It's not appropriate, since I didn't gift you any this year. But since it's your first time, I'll let it slide."
Shinichi lets out a heavy sigh of relief.
"Hey, Haibara." He hesitates. Eyes shifting to the side, he clears his throat and ventures, "Is it okay if I walk you home from now on?"
"Again, we live next door."
"I am aware of that, yes." He deadpans, "Still, I'd like to walk you to school in the mornings and talk to you more during breaks. I'll always save a place for you at lunch, too, and wait for you when you come out late from club meetings. And then, we can walk home, if you want."
Shiho presses a curled finger against her lips to keep them for either huffing or smiling.
"Are you asking to be my bodyguard or my boyfriend, Kudo?"
She kind of expects him to snap, but instead he blushes several shades darker.
"What if I'm asking both, would the answer be any different?"
Oh.
She feigns considering the question.
"Actually, no."
"No?"
"Then, yes."
"Wait, what?
"You may."
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A/N: Hiya angels, just a quick thing! If you like my fics please do leave some reviews to let me know! I post these on three different platforms and formatting is very time consuming so if I'm not getting much feedback I'll probably just keep the fics in-server since I mostly get comments from my friends there anyways. Please be supportive to other authors during this week (and always) too! We worked very hard since January to pull off CoAi week on tumblr and it's been a blessing so far! Thank you so much for reading and all your support throughout!
