Mikau: Hi all! So good to see you again! I can't believe I got this chapter done on time. (Unfortunately, it was all I could do to get HP out, so there's no CTM or Roses still. Sorry.) It was a real struggle at parts, but I'm fairly pleased with this chapter. It really is about "clearing the air". I think it accomplished what was needed at this point in the fic so that everyone can move forward with their relationships, so I'm satisfied with it. Well, you'll see. Thanks so much to everyone for their support! It's difficult to keep trudging forward when you have writer's block, but your encouragement meant a lot to me, guys. Thanks so much to: Bunnyz-chan, MeitanteiRose, Kathrine Apollo Karma, patternleap, R27-Shipper-4Ever, mochiusagi, and Guest!
Disclaimer: If I owned it, I'd destroy that one outfit Ran has: the light pink sweater with all of the bows down the front. I face-palm every time I see it. That girl needs to fire her stylist.
…
Chapter Seven: Clearing the Air
Shinichi smelled coffee. His eyes flickered open to find Kaito sitting on the bed to his left…with a mug of coffee and a plate of fruit, toast, and eggs.
"Hahaha." Kaito grinned wide like a mischievous imp. "I thought that would wake you up. Ha! Better than smelling salts."
"Good morning, Coffee, Kaito," Shinichi hummed tunelessly.
Kaito held the mug out of Shinichi's reach. "I come after the coffee?"
"Just kidding, my beautiful barista angel," Shinichi laughed weakly, reaching out for the nectar of the gods contained in that mug that was just a few inches too far away.
"Somehow I don't believe you," Kaito snorted, leaning back and putting more distance between Shinichi and the sacred liquid.
"Come on. Please? Darling?" Shinichi resorted to begging as he crawled forward, almost climbing Kaito to get the coffee. "Precious? Beloved?"
At this point, Kaito was doing a bit of a backbend on the mattress to keep Shinichi away from the java.
Shinichi stuck out a lip and pouted. Two years as Conan had served him well as far as learning to pout went.
Kaito, the master of pouting and puppy-dog eyes, gave Shinichi a look that plainly begged the question, "Seriously?" The master was unimpressed.
Desperate for his early-morning fix, Shinichi decided to stoop to seduction. He leaned in and nipped his boyfriend's earlobe. "Please, Kaito?"
Kaito nipped back and surrendered the mug. "But only because you asked nicely," the magician huffed.
"Thanks. And thanks for breakfast. You're an awesome boyfriend."
Kaito shrugged, secretly pleased. "You're welcome. It's the least I could do to say thank you for letting me steal all of your body heat last night."
"No problem." Even though it had caused Shinichi hours of torture. Come to think of it, when Kaito used to sleep over before Shinichi had known about Kaito's little crush, did Kaito suffer the way Shinichi had the previous night as well?
Shinichi wasn't afforded the opportunity to consider it much before Kaito handed over the rest of the breakfast tray. "Kaito, did you eat breakfast already?"
Kaito shook his head. "I'm catching brunch with Sonoko-chan at ten."
Shinichi glanced at the clock. Nine thirty. He nodded, reaching up and scratching behind Kaito's ear. "How are you doing today? Are you okay?"
Kaito smiled, making the room light up. "Yeah. Thanks, Shin-chan. I'm feeling a little better today…. A lot of stuff got straightened out yesterday, so…thanks." He leaned in and gave Shinichi's cheek a light kiss.
"Good. You're welcome, and…thanks for working with me…for believing in me." Shinichi lightly patted Kaito on the cheek.
"Not a problem," Kaito chuckled, genuinely seeming to be in a better mood.
"Hey, I have to go down to the station today, so…do you think you're going to be alright?" Shinichi bit his lip.
Kaito shrugged. "Yeah. No problem. I wouldn't want to keep you away from your work two days in a row. Plus, I'm going out with Sonoko-chan, so that'll keep me occupied for a while."
Shinichi firmly grasped Kaito's wrist. "Screw my work. You're more important; now, are you going to be okay, or not? I need to know you're alright before I let you out of my sight, because if I come home to your dead body or a note telling me to go back to Ran because I'd be better off without you, so help me, Kaito, I will find some way to bring you back to life or track you down like a fugitive so that I can kick you in the shins. So?"
Kaito broke down in giggles, wrapping his arms around Shinichi's shoulders and giving his boyfriend a tight squeeze. "I kind of like it when you get all psycho overprotective on me. Yes, I'm really truly gonna be okay today, Shin-chan, so go do your detective thing with your cop friends. I'm gonna have hot chocolate and go clothes shopping with mine."
Shinichi gave a sigh of relief, closing his eyes as he let his head rest against Kaito's. "Okay. Thanks, Kaito."
"Mmhm," Kaito chuckled, nuzzling Shinichi's hair.
"And thanks for breakfast. You're a rockstar."
"My pleasure," Kaito assured with a wink.
…
"You should have told me," were the first words out of Sonoko's mouth before she nearly tackled Kaito, wrapping her arms around him in a spine-snapping hug.
"I wanted to; I really did," Kaito whispered, giving her a little squeeze back. "I was about to when we met up Friday night, but…when I told you I'd moved back in with Shin-chan and then turned to him so that we could tell you the news together…he acted like he had no idea what was going on, so I thought that I was a secret or something."
"Oh, Kai-chan," she cooed, stroking his hair. "I'm gonna deck him."
"Uh…actually it was all a misunderstanding," Kaito laughed weakly as they pulled back and took a seat at their booth. "He hadn't been paying attention, so he really didn't know what was going on."
"I'm still gonna deck him," the heiress snorted. "How dare he mess with my two best friends!"
"…You think of me as your best friend?" Kaito's mouth fell open. "Like…in the same category as Mouri-chan?"
"Yeah. Of course I do." Sonoko looked a little confused. "Why? Don't you think of me as your bestie, Kid-sama?"
"Of course I do, but…" Kaito blinked back tears. "I didn't expect you to feel the same way about me. I mean, I'm the life-ruining slut that stole your best friend's boyfriend. Talk about fraternizing with the enemy."
Sonoko rolled her eyes and slapped Kaito on the wrist. "Kaito, you are none of those things, you hear me?"
"Heh. Really?" Kaito gave a wry grin. "Because I would argue—"
"—And you'd lose," Sonoko cut him off with authority, bringing her palm down on the table with a bang like a gavel. "So stop thinking like that."
"But I really did steal Shinichi from Mouri-chan, and—you've seen me dance!—I really am a slut."
"No," Sonoko sighed. "Kai-chan, you've got it all wrong. None of this is your fault. It's in the rules."
"What rules?" Kaito knew she was going to explain anyway, but he thought that he might as well ask, just to get a word in edgewise.
"THE rules. It comes with being a girl. It's understandable that you don't know since you're only an honorary member, but we girls have to stick together. When we turn on each other, it gets ugly fast—worse than any physical fight boys could get into—so the rules were established to keep order and peace."
"So what's the rule about stealing someone else's boyfriend?" Kaito sighed.
"Well, since you and Ran are friends and not rivals or enemies or frenemies, neither of you is at fault. We always blame the guy when there's guy trouble between friends," Sonoko patiently explained.
"So…it's Shinichi's fault?" This was oddly enough making sense.
"Exactly!" Sonoko giggled, clapping her hands.
"What do we do about it?" Kaito held his breath.
"Getting in the way of a girl's friendship is a serious offense. Naturally, we make him pay." Sonoko sounded as if she was going to derive sadistic pleasure from the experience.
Kaito grimaced. "Could we…maybe not make him pay to the point where I don't have a boyfriend anymore? I kind of love him and would still like to be able to use him after you're through."
Sonoko brought out the pouty duck lips. "That's no fun. Well, I'm at least going to curse at him and hit him with my purse," she compromised. "He did mess with both of my besties, after all."
"Thanks, Sono-chan." Kaito grinned, resting his hand on top of the one Sonoko still had on the table. "You're awesome."
"I know, Darling," she giggled with a wink. "So…spill the juicy details already! Ran said that Shinichi slept with you. How did our little Shin-chan's first time go? And I bet you just died of happiness after pining after him for so long! Spill! Spill!"
Kaito groaned. "I don't want to talk about it."
"That bad?" Sonoko replied straight-faced. "Hn. Maybe Ran dodged a bullet on that one. I've been telling her for years that her detective freak was a loser…. Sorry, Kai-chan."
"It's not that. It's just…" Kaito bit his lip. He had to get it off of his chest. He had to tell someone. "Sonoko-chan, what I'm about to tell you, you have to swear that you won't tell anyone else. Not a soul. Not even Mouri-chan…maybe especially not Mouri-chan. Swear to me on our friendship."
"That serious, huh? Okay. I swear, Kai-chan. What's the matter?" Sonoko gently stroked the back of Kaito's hand.
Kaito took a nervous look around before leaning in and whispering. "Look, Shinichi only thinks we slept together because we woke up in his bed all disheveled and me with hickeys all over. He was blind drunk, and there may have been some making out and fondling, but he didn't sleep with me. It's all a misunderstanding, but, Sono-chan, I swear I never meant to lie, but before I could explain, he asked me out and started promising me that he was going to take care of me and never make me cry again and that someday he was gonna love me too, and I didn't see the harm in it since Shin-chan and Mouri-chan had just broken up, we thought, and…I'd been living with him for three weeks before she came back and claimed it wasn't over yet.
"God, I feel so horrible about it. I don't know what to think. Part of me says that he's only staying with me because he thinks we slept together, and, if that's true, I just broke up the poster couple for true love! But…there's another part of me that truly believes that Shinichi cares about me…that he may even like me. I don't know. I see it in his eyes sometimes. And the things he says…he's got me so confused. I mean…he tells me I'm precious, I'm pretty, I matter, he cares…. And the way he reacts to me…the little subconscious and physiological things…he does react, and those reactions wouldn't be there unless he really did like me on some level. Oh, Sonoko-chan, I don't know what to do. I am so messed up right now." With a deep sigh, Kaito let his head rest on the table, buried in his arm.
"Shh. You're okay, Kai-chan," Sonoko cooed as she continued to stroke the back of his hand in comfort. "Again. You haven't done anything wrong. This is all Shinichi's fault."
Kaito looked up incredulously. "Do you seriously think that?"
"Yes," she insisted, and the look in her eyes told him that she whole-heartedly believed it. "Kai-chan, you are stupid in love with this guy. No one could blame you for what you did—not even Ran or Shinichi."
"Are you sure? Because I'm scared, Sonoko-chan." Kaito gripped her hand. "I'm so scared that he's gonna find out and get mad and leave me, and I…I can't take anymore. I can't do this again. If he leaves me, it's going to burn a hole like battery acid in my chest where the shards of my already shattered heart are now."
"It's okay, Kai-chan." She smiled softly. "If you're so scared, we just won't tell anyone. You and I are the only ones that know, right?"
Kaito nodded. "I feel bad about lying. That's what ruined my entire relationship with Aoko."
Sonoko shook her head. "Honey, there are some things that people are better off not knowing. I honestly think things might be better this way anyway. Ran was miserable with Shinichi. You didn't break up a perfect couple—and it's not your fault that they broke up, by the way. Ran and Shinichi fought and annoyed one another and made each other's lives hell. They may have had their cute, sweet moments, but those were few and far between. They never could be honest with each other about their feelings. They had sucky communication and that is the reason why they broke up.
"No matter how smitten they might have been, no matter how much they thought of each other when separated…they've never been a good couple. Ran clung to Shinichi like a crutch, and Shinichi always felt like a bad boyfriend because he never knew what to do to make her happy. He never knew what she wanted from him, and never have I seen such a strong girl reduced to a pile of blubbering mush over a boy. They were bad for each other…unhealthy.
"Trust me. I've been along on this wild ride for years now. It's a good thing that it's over…and…I really do think that there might be something between you and Shinichi. I saw you two dancing Friday night. He was into you."
"R-Really?" Kaito's mouth dropped open. "Are you serious, Sono-chan?!"
"Yeah. Definitely," she giggled. "Those two were never gonna make it…and he was all over you on the dance floor. What's more…you should have seen the way he was looking at you before when the two of us were drinking and you were out dancing. The spark is definitely there, Kai-chan. Just give it time to smolder, Honey!"
"Thanks, Sonoko-chan," Kaito chuckled, a bright grin blossoming on his lips.
"You betcha. So…tell me all about your boyfriend, Sweetheart! You've been dating for…what? Three weeks now? You've been holding out on me! Spill!"
Kaito had been holding it in for three weeks now, and he was more than eager to "spill". "Sono-chan, he's super sweet! He's trying so hard to be a good boyfriend, and he's super considerate of my feelings, even though he doesn't feel as strongly for me yet. He cooks for me and leaves me sweet notes and takes care of me. I'm learning to take care of him too. I'm learning to cook."
"And how's that going?" Sonoko chuckled, giving Kaito the impression that she had very little faith in his abilities.
"Pretty okay." He smiled sheepishly. "I've had one or two close calls, but I haven't burned down the Kudo Manor yet. I actually really like playing house like this. I'm not a bad homemaker. Shin-chan says it really means a lot to him to have someone to come home to after a hard case. He told me that having me waiting there with a smile and dinner makes all the difference."
"Awww. Kai-chan, that's adorable." Sonoko couldn't help a fond eye roll. "God. You two are going to be one of those obnoxiously cute couples. I can feel it."
"I hope so." Kaito could barely contain himself as he struggled not to squirm in his seat. This was so exciting! "Geez, he's just so good to me. He tells me that I'm beautiful, that he loves my smile…that he treasures me. You have no idea how I've missed being precious to someone. I guess it doesn't help that Saguru used to fawn over me constantly, but… I was sincerely and truly loved, and I've missed that more than I can explain with words. It's like…like I've got this huge void inside of me, but…Shinichi's starting to fill it."
"God, you're adorable," Sonoko chuckled, reaching across the table to pat her friend on the cheek. "I'm happy for you, Kai-chan. True, the situation's a little messy and odd, but…God knows you deserve to be happy. I want to see you happy, and if Shinichi can do that, so be it. I'm supporting you, so you just let me know if you need anything. You can always talk to me, Kaito."
"Thanks," Kaito whispered, turning to nuzzle her wrist. "You're too good to me too, Sono-chan."
"Nah. What are best friends for?" She smiled softly. "So…has he kissed you yet? Where do we stand as far as the physical relationship goes?"
"Sonoko!" Kaito groaned, blushing in embarrassment.
…
"Kaito's fine," Shinichi cut Hakuba off before he could even ask as Shinichi approached the other's desk. "He looked pretty good this morning. He seems to be doing a lot better today."
Saguru closed his mouth and chuckled softly. "I was going to ask what you were doing here. Kaito was going to be my second question."
"I don't believe you." Shinichi rolled his eyes, leaning up against the cop's desk. "Kaito never comes second with you."
"I am a tad predictable, aren't I?" Hakuba grimaced. "So I don't need to be worrying about him…any more than I already do, anyway?"
"No. He's going out for brunch with Sonoko. I have a feeling they'll have a great time chattering like chimps and shopping like it's their job." Shinichi rolled his eyes. So long as Kaito was happy.
Saguru nodded.
"You look tired," Shinichi noted. "Everything alright?"
With a single-shoulder shrug, Hakuba turned the page of the file he'd been reviewing. "I didn't get much sleep last night…a lot on my mind."
"When did you find out about the baby?" Shinichi took the risk of being rude and nosey.
"Yesterday morning before I left for work." Saguru shrugged again.
"So…yesterday was kind of stressful for you, huh?" Shinichi wagered.
"Yeah," Hakuba whispered. "It was especially hard because there was absolutely nothing I could do. Everything was out of my control, so…I spent the majority of the day feeling helpless. I don't like it when there's nothing I can do to control the situation."
Shinichi bit his lip. "Hakuba…maybe…maybe this baby is a good thing. I know you're not really excited about it now, but…"
"…I have no business being a father. I am cold, unfeeling, and, frankly, unqualified for the job. I know nothing of caring for another life, and I know less about what role a parent is supposed to play in a child's life. I am unfit for the position, and I'd like nothing more than to turn the job down, but it doesn't seem like I have a choice in the matter."
"You took care of Kaito," Shinichi softly reminded. "I'm thinking that taking care of a baby is a little like that. And, Hakuba, you may not have had a close relationship to your biological parents, but you had Baaya. You know what she did for you, how she cared for you. And I've seen the passionate way that you love Kaito. You're not cold or unfeeling in the least. You're just scared right now, and it's okay to be scared."
Saguru shut his eyes and blew out a long sigh. "…You're right…naturally…. Thank you for that, Kudo."
"No problem," Shinichi assured. "We can talk about it more later, if you want. I mean…if you ever want to talk. I'm here."
"…Maybe. Thank you." Hakuba looked up at Shinichi and raised an eyebrow. "I almost forgot. What brings you down here to the station?"
"Oh. Uh…just…you know. Case stuff." Shinichi smiled.
Saguru frowned, not believing that fib for a second; however, he shrugged it off, pretending that he accepted Shinichi's answer. "You know, they've been trying to find a partner for me."
"Yeah?" Somehow the idea bothered Shinichi.
"Yes. So far I've annoyed the spit out of the five people they've attempted to pair me with," Hakuba informed him with a smirk.
Shinichi broke out in laughter. "Yeah. That sounds about right."
"I assure you, I was just being myself," Saguru reported in his own defense. "I wasn't even trying to be obnoxious."
"Hakuba, you just being yourself is enough to irritate the Buddha himself," Shinichi snickered.
With a simper and a shrug, Hakuba continued, "And that is why there's been talk of offering you an official position on the force. You're very good…and the only person that seems capable of working with me."
Shinichi shook his head. "I prefer the freedom of PI work. I don't mind consulting for the police, but I wouldn't want to work for them fulltime. I like working from home, and I have to be available for Kaito."
Saguru nodded. "Understood. That's why I convinced them to pay you to do what you already do for free. The position they'd be offering you would be Official Consultant. No desk. No regular hours. There would be the occasional obligation to work beside me—as you already do—on certain cases when it's deemed too dangerous for me to do my job without backup, but…consider it, please. I'd much rather team up with you a little more often than we already do than have to work side by side, day in and day out with some bumbling idiot."
"So they'd pay me for consulting, and the only thing I'd have to do differently would be going out investigating with you more often?" Shinichi raised an eyebrow. "Could I still continue my own PI services on the side?"
"I doubt they'd have a problem with that. You doing what you do makes their lives a whole lot easier." Saguru shrugged.
"I'll talk to Megure about it. Thanks for letting me know." This sounded pretty good, actually.
"Not a problem. It would be to my benefit anyway, should you accept the position." Saguru smirked. "Forgive me…what case did you say you were here concerning?"
Shinichi smirked back. "I didn't." He turned to leave without saying what he had come to say, but then he paused, thinking better of it. He didn't want to pick a fight, but… He bit his lip. "Hey, Hakuba?" He glanced back at the cop. "Hypothetical question?"
The blonde rolled his eyes and gave a fond shake of his head. "We both know that people generally don't ask purely hypothetical questions. Whatever you ask me, I will assume that there is an element of truth in it. However, you're free to ask me anything you wish."
Shinichi grimaced. "Hypothetically speaking…would you…would you hate me if…" Shinichi squirmed, not wanting to ruin his friendship with Hakuba but hating all the fibs, omissions, and lies. "…if I slept with…your wife?"
Saguru blinked slowly, his eyebrows knitting together as he tilted his head to the side. "What? No. Why? Are you planning on sleeping with my wife?"
Shinichi smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. "No…. Just…hypothetically speaking. You know. Wait. So you seriously wouldn't hate me if I slept with Aoko-san? Why not?"
Saguru shrugged, looking back down at the case file. "That's not to say that I wouldn't be upset with you. I would, but I wouldn't hate you, Kudo. I'm very fond of my wife, but I can't say that I'm terribly possessive or jealous when it comes to her. Besides, she feels the same about me. I've told you before; Aoko and I are more of a political marriage of convenience than anything. I would find it understandable if you slept with my wife. After all, you do bear a striking resemblance to…to Kaito, so…I'd understand her sleeping with you."
Shinichi chewed on the inside of his cheek, not envying Hakuba's situation one bit. "Sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up. What…What I meant to ask you was…would you hate me if…Kaito started to develop feelings for me?"
Saguru looked up from the file, face impassive. He studied Shinichi for a moment before looking away. He closed his eyes, and when he opened them again he replied, "Yes and no. He's taken a liking to you then? Of course he has. You're taking care of him for the second time now. Kaito must see you as some kind of savior after what I did to him. It's only natural that he have feelings for you. I don't begrudge you that, Kudo. Just…be careful with him, okay? Please?" Saguru looked back at Shinichi with worry overflowing in his eyes. He begged as if he were pleading for his own life. "You have Ran-san, so…don't lead him on, and be gentle if you have to tell him no. Please. I know he's not mine anymore, but I still love him, and I still want to protect him in any way that I can, and the thought of him being hurt again is…"
Saguru bit his lip and sent Shinichi a sorrowful, entreating look.
Shinichi came back to Saguru's side and put a hand on the blonde's shoulder. "Don't worry, Hakuba. I swear to you that I'll do everything I can to keep him safe and happy."
"Just…don't hurt him," Hakuba mumbled.
Shinichi nodded and turned to leave. "See you later."
"Kudo," Hakuba called after him.
Shinichi stopped and looked back.
"Thank you for telling me. Truly. It means a great deal to me that you were honest about such a touchy subject," Saguru assured with a hint of a smile. "You don't have to worry, though. Our unconventional friendship is strong enough to survive such…complications. I'll see you later."
Shinichi smiled, a little bit of the weight coming off his shoulders. "Thanks, Hakuba. I'm really glad."
…
Suzuki Sonoko was exiting the Kudo Manor when Shinichi got home several hours later after one suicide made to look like homicide and two actual murders. He considered hiding in the bushes and praying that she didn't spot him, but before he could make a decision, she looked his way and glared like a seriously ticked harpy.
Shinichi had no choice but to stand his ground and take it like a man.
"You," the heiress hissed, voice dripping malevolence.
"Hi, Sonoko." Shinichi prayed that this would be quick. "Ran called you?"
Shinichi got a purse to the face and a barrage of curses before he could react.
"What the hell?!" he shrieked, putting his hands up in a sad attempt to defend himself from the onslaught.
Finally the assault stopped. "You should think twice before you mess with my best friends again, Kudo," she fumed, feinting another blow with her purse.
He flinched.
"And if you break Kaito's heart, you're gonna pay," Sonoko warned. "I've put up with you putting Ran through hell, but I will not let you treat Kaito like that, you hear me?"
Shinichi nodded in fear. He had never seen Sonoko so incensed.
"So we have an understanding?"
Shinichi nodded again.
"Good." And then Sonoko was back to her usual bouncy, tactless self. "Kai-chan's not feeling well, so he's upstairs taking a nap. Take good care of your boyfriend."
There was an implied "or else" tacked on to that statement.
"I always do," Shinichi muttered, retreating into his house as she left.
He found Kaito in the kitchen whipping up some hot chocolate.
"Hey. I'm home. Sonoko said that you weren't feeling so hot?" Shinichi stopped in the doorway, leaning against the doorjamb.
Kaito turned with a broad grin. "Hey, welcome home. It's just a headache…. And I always feel hot," Kaito returned with a wink.
Shinichi rolled his eyes, coming to Kaito's side. "Right. Sorry. Of course you do. Where's it hurt?"
Kaito pointed, and Shinichi leaned in and kissed the corresponding spot, causing Kaito to giggle. "Thanks, Shin-chan."
"Bring your hot cocoa in the living room and lie down on the couch. I'll give you a head massage," Shinichi offered.
"Best boyfriend ever!" Kaito squealed in delight, eagerly following Shinichi into the living room and setting his mug down on the coffee table.
Shinichi sat with his back up against the arm of the couch, and Kaito lay between his legs, reclining against Shinichi's chest.
"I want to talk to you about something," Shinichi whispered as he massaged.
"Un," Kaito acknowledged Shinichi's statement, closing his eyes and enjoying the sensation of Shinichi's hands in his hair.
"Does talking about Hakuba upset you?" Shinichi bit his lip and mentally crossed his fingers.
"…Little bit. It depends…. Why?"
Shinichi shrugged and kept rubbing. "You know he's a police detective now, right? Mostly Division One, but Two borrows him pretty often."
Kaito shifted slightly. (Shinichi took that to mean that he was at least a little uncomfortable.) "I kind of guessed. He was just signing on with the force when we… I kind of figured he was doing the police detective thing nowadays."
"And…you know I work mostly with Division One?" Shinichi wished he had a piece of gum to chew on or something to give his poor lip a break.
Kaito nodded.
"Okay, on a scale of one to ten with one being 'I'm pretty okay with it' and ten being 'Something like that could potentially push me over the edge', how tolerable would it be for you if I occasionally worked with Hakuba?"
"One and a half." Kaito shrugged. "It'd be silly for me to get upset. I mean…it'd be unreasonable for me to demand you not run into him when you both work in the same field. You're both amazing detectives, so…it'd be selfish of me to say that you can't team up for the betterment of humankind."
"Good. Thank you." Shinichi let up a little on the pressure with which he was biting into his lip. "And…what about if I worked with Hakuba at least once a week?"
"Three and a half," Kaito mumbled.
"How upset is this conversation making you now?" Shinichi paused his massage for a moment to give the crown of Kaito's head a kiss.
"Five."
Shinichi could really use that gum right about now. He didn't want to put Kaito through anything more considering what a mess yesterday had been, but…he didn't want to lose Kaito to his lies just like he had Ran. He thought it would be more upsetting for Kaito to find out on his own later about the relationship between Hakuba and Shinichi than for Shinichi to just be fairly honest now. "What number do you want me to drop this conversation at?"
"…Seven and a half," Kaito whispered.
"You just let me know if we get there, okay?" Shinichi gave him a light squeeze and went back to rubbing Kaito's head.
Kaito nodded.
"How about…if I accepted an official position on the force to work as his partner whenever he needs backup?" Shinichi tried not to tense as he awaited Kaito's answer.
"…Five."
"…How about…if I told you he's a good friend?" Shinichi held his breath.
"…My knee-jerk reaction is eight, but…maybe it's closer to a two or a three. On second thought, it's all a two or a three. If I'm being really honest, I don't mind you two working together and being friends. Heck, I completely understand. You two'd make great buddies once you stopped making snide comments and picking at each other. You have a lot in common, and I really do think you'd make good friends, but…the pain and the anxiety I feel is more coming from the fact that while you can be friends with him, I can't anymore. I'm jealous because he's such an interesting, good man. So…go ahead and be friends. Be partners. At least that way I know that I don't have to worry about either of you out there in the field because I know that someone I can rely on has your back."
Shinichi wrapped his arms around Kaito and gave the magician a warm hug. "Thanks for understanding. Don't worry. I'm not going to rub it in your face. I probably won't even mention it, but…Kaito, I didn't want to go around behind your back. I want to be honest with you, so I wanted to tell you what was really going on."
Kaito nodded, hugging back. "Thanks, Shin-chan. I'm glad you told me…. So…how is he?"
Shinichi started chewing on the inside of his cheek. "…How do you want him to be?"
Kaito gave a tired, mirthless laugh. "Part of me growls 'miserable'; another part of me hopes 'happy'…. Is he happy?"
Shinichi shook his head. "No, but he's not miserable all of the time either. He's okay. He'll be okay, but…he would have been happier if he'd stayed with you…and he knows it."
Kaito nodded. "How's Aoko? Do you ever see Aoko?"
Shinichi was certain that all of the color had just left his cheeks, and he was sure glad Kaito's wasn't facing him at the moment. "Uh…I don't see much of her. According to Hakuba, she's just fine." There was no way in hell that Shinichi was telling Kaito that his first love and his soul mate were having a baby. That was too much honesty too soon.
"Do you guys ever talk about me? You and…and Hakuba?" Kaito waited in apprehension.
"…Yeah," Shinichi admitted. "Yeah. We do."
"…Does he hate me?" Kaito closed his eyes and tilted his head back to listen to the sound of Shinichi's heart.
"Absolutely not," Shinichi assured, almost laughing at the absurdity of the question.
"G-Good," Kaito mumbled. "Let's…talk about something else. What did you do today?"
Shinichi grimaced, smoothing Kaito's hair. "That's not really much of a topic change, since I went down to the station today."
"Oh." Kaito hummed pensively.
"Sonoko nearly bit my head off on the way in. She's really protective of you, you know? She really cares." Shinichi smiled, pushing Kaito's bangs out of his face.
Kaito chuckled softly. "Yeah. She's the best."
"Tell me about your day," Shinichi urged.
"You don't really want to talk about all the drama and new outfits that come with a day out with Sonoko-chan, do you?" Kaito rolled his eyes.
"Tell me anyway." Shinichi shrugged. "You can make the most boring stories interesting. Besides, you care about it, therefore I should care to some degree, right?"
"I'll pretend you were all romantic right now and said something like, 'I want to know everything about you!' or 'I'm interested because you care about it, and I care about you.'" Kaito rolled his eyes with a smirk.
"Sorry. I'm no smooth-talking ladies' man like you, Kaito," Shinichi chuckled. "The feeling behind it was there. Do I get points for that?"
Kaito nipped Shinichi on the jaw. "Sure. Why not? You're sexy."
Shinichi's face went fire engine red in two seconds flat.
…
The week had gotten off to a rocky start on Monday morning, but the rest of it turned out pretty well in Kaito's opinion. Shinichi had been sweet and thoughtful and attentive. He'd gone above and beyond his duties as boyfriend, and he'd made Kaito feel truly important and special.
Kaito was beginning to feel the attraction between them. A big part of it was just lust and a lot of the feelings that went along with the collapse of a long-term relationship and the rebound period that went with that, but…there was genuine affection when Shinichi looked at him and smiled and laughed. Kaito could tell that Shinichi felt at least some little spark of something when they touched.
The entire situation was getting more bearable for Kaito, and Shinichi found himself truly enjoying having someone to look after, bounce ideas off of, and spend time with. Kaito made him slow down and enjoy the little things in life.
It was refreshing for the both of them.
It was a week later, another Monday morning, when Kaito rolled out of bed at nine o'clock wondering why Shinichi hadn't gotten him up for breakfast yet.
In her trunk, Rose the elephant held a single note card: "I got called into work at FIVE in the freaking morning. Don't criminals have some sense of decency? Why can't they commit their crimes in broad daylight at a decent time? Anyway, I left your breakfast and lunch in the fridge. Make sure you eat all of your vegetables. I'll miss you. See you when I get home. Have a good day, Kaito."
Kaito could barely contain his glee.
I'll miss you.
It made his heart sing. It was good to be missed.
Kaito gave Rose a little kiss on the nose before plodding down the steps and into the kitchen to secure his breakfast.
He was halfway to the fridge when the doorbell rang. He froze instinctively before he caught himself and shook off the paranoia. It was probably just a client or something…and he was still in his pajamas.
Regardless, he made his way to the door and put on a pleasant expression.
"Good morning, Kaito-kun," Mouri Ran greeted hesitantly.
Kaito nearly went into cardiac arrest.
She put up her hands in an attempt to show that she meant no harm. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to startle you! I'm just here to talk…to apologize."
"For what?" Kaito gaped. "I'm the one that stole your boyfriend of twenty years."
Ran smiled sadly and shook her head. "No, Kaito-kun. No, you didn't. There were things pulling us apart before Shinichi even met you…some things that I didn't even know about…. Shinichi explained everything to me, and I've been talking to Sonoko, so…I think I have a pretty good understanding of the situation." She looked down at her cute little half boots and fidgeted. "I can't say that I'm not mad at you on some level, but…deep down I know that this isn't your fault, and I want to apologize for the things I said to you last week…the way I acted…. I'm really sorry, Kaito-kun." She dropped into a bow from the waist.
"N-No! Not at all!" Kaito bowed even lower in return. "It was totally understandable. I mean, yeah, it hurt, but…you had every right to be totally pissed. You don't have to apologize…Ran-san."
Ran looked up. "Y-You…finally called me…"
Kaito stood up and shrugged, looking away as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah. Look…I'm really sorry for the role I played in you losing your boyfriend. I hope everything works out for you in the future…. I wish you happiness."
"Thank you, Kaito-kun," Ran chuckled, digging a little notebook out of her purse and holding it out to Kaito.
The magician blinked, cocking his head to the side as he tentatively took it.
"It's a peace offering," she explained, a pained look sneaking through her forced smile. "I heard from Sonoko that you were learning to cook, so…I wrote down the recipes for some of Shinichi's favorites. Take good care of him, okay? He's kind of hopeless," she chuckled. "I hope you two are happy."
"Th-Thank you," Kaito breathed in amazement.
"You're welcome." She shrugged.
Kaito frowned. "Look, it's okay to be bitter for a while, but don't let it ruin you. You have a beautiful heart, and I'd hate to play a part in spoiling it."
Ran blinked, a soft blush rising on her cheeks. She smiled, and this time it was genuine. "Thank you. I'll…I'll be okay. I'm strong."
"Yeah," Kaito laughed. "Yeah you really, truly are, Ran-san. I wish I had even an ounce of your strength."
Ran shook her head. "You have your own strength, Kaito-kun. You've been through a lot…won a lot of battles…fought a lot of demons. You shouldn't have to be strong anymore. You deserve to rest, so…let Shinichi take care of you for a while."
Kaito smiled. "Thanks. And thanks for coming over; that must have taken a lot of guts…. I appreciate it."
She shrugged. "I couldn't leave things like that, and that was an apology best made in person…. I'm leaving. You guys won't see me for a little while."
"What? Why?" This seemed sudden.
She replied with an enthusiastic grin. "I'm taking some time off to go to America to see an old high school friend. I called him up the other day, and he said he'd be thrilled to have me come and stay with him for a while, so…I'm kind of taking a leap of faith here, but…"
"I hope it goes well." Kaito smiled knowingly. "It's good to hear that you haven't given up and stopped fighting. May your faith be rewarded. Have a great trip."
"Thanks, Kaito-kun. I'll see you when I get back." With another bow she turned to leave.
"Thank you, Ran-san. Thanks for the recipes, and I'm really glad we could have this talk!" Kaito waved her off.
"Me too!" Ran waved goodbye with a grin.
Kaito breathed a sigh of relief as he closed the door behind him. That had gone soooo much better than he could have hoped. Apocalypse averted.
With a soft chuckle, Kaito flipped to the first recipe and headed back to the kitchen to check for ingredients.
…
Mikau: And there you have it. Not bad for being totally uninspired. I bet you never expected Ran to come back twice. She actually still has a role to play as a minor plot point in a few chapters. What I have planned for next chapter is a bunch of KaiShin scenes where we work on strengthening the relationship and passing time. In chapter nine I want to really bring Hakuba and Aoko back into play at—gasp—the baby shower. Then we'll get to see Shinichi squirm and get jealous when Hakuba is back in Kaito's life. I'd also like to remind you that I had originally planned to do four additional chapters for HP. The content that I'd planned to cover in two chapters has now spanned six. And we still have the content of two more planned chapters to go, but Kaito's not sticking with the plan. What I'm telling you is that you could still be in for a long, wild ride with this story. Not that I think you mind much. ^.~ Thanks guys! I really appreciate your enthusiasm for this fic! See you next time!
