Heya !
Well, last chapter before going back to some action... And cliffs ; )
We'll have some news of the girls (more or less to our boys pleasure :p) and the beginning of a little something, you'll see later : )
I think I will publish on thursdays & sundays now, so twice a week !
Have fun reading, thanks for coming ! ^_^
o.O.o
JarayZ : Yep, you were even the first reviewer xD That's what I call being concentrated on your studies : ) Nah, joking, we all need that puff of fresh air when we are too focused on something : ) *blushes* Ahah, thank you... Well I may have some depressing subjects but I like to put some little touches of humour to lighten the mood ˆˆ And of course you can have more than one favorite chapter, damn, there's no limit ! Haha, yea, I liked this idea, a funny moustache-free Heizo...My first OC ever though :o Good luck, it should be over by now, right? : )
Mystery0028 : Hey, that one was already a bonus one ; ) Be strong xD
Hebiaczek : Yea, I kinda imagine Agasa as a kind of uncle / grand father, being here for Shnichi, knowing him for ages, as well as his parents... No way he wouldn't have been moved to learn his death and then discover he was alive ! But I didn't feel he'd be the kind to jump around his neck when he discovered he was alive, so I pictured this moment : ) Hmmm *hesitates* Nah, I won't spoil you, you'll see :D
WisteriaReds : Yep ! It even surprised myself... Just as I thought I'd never create an OC, here he comes, spotting in my head, with his background, his appearance, his temper, damn, how did he do that? o.O Hope he won't annoy you too much but, on my side, I'm trying to make him as a plausible caracter : ) I'm sure if Conan goes back to Shin, he'll be sad in a little corner of his head... Look at him when he got back his body the fist time, with nostalgic looks at the DB ! He prefers Ran and his high school detective's life over it but I don't see how it could stop him to be a bit sad for Conan's disappearance... he just wouldn't admit it :p Haha, poor old dude, yes, his career his over xD
Boogum : Of course this is going to be complicated : ) Seeing how this fic began, it couldn't be solved so easily ; ) Haha, you'll see what will stay secret, what won't... in the next chapters : ) (though some are pretty far away xD)
Chapter 11 : Phone calls
One hour later, the teens were unpacking their things in Yamato's house. They left Heiji's father at the dojo, after asking him not to tell anyone Conan was alive and that he'd seen his son. The man surely had some questions, his frown showed it, but didn't ask, probably keeping them for later as it was clear both boys needed some real sleep in a bed, something they hadn't had for long. After a quick silent drive, the doctor had parked in front of a big old-fashioned house, the very same, the Osakan remembered, he used to come to play when he was bored at his own home.
The house was spacey and orderly, and that was surely the maid's work as the teen had always seen that place pretty messy, his uncle not being able to do both his chores and his work and had chosen to go for the latter. The teens had decided to share a room as it would be more convenient and Yamato was now helping them getting their futons out. But that was only after he checked Conan's wounds, being insistent about it, and gave some pills to both of them. Teens and man finally parted on a "good night" and our two friends were now both on their beds, rambling in their respective bags.
"- Here.
- What ?"
Conan, by pure reflex, caught the item Heiji threw at him and looked at it with curiosity.
"- A phone ? Who do you want me to phone ? I'm supposed to be dead...
- Her. As ya. Kudô. I bet ya got that bowtie in yer bag over there, so do it." The dark skinned detective ordered to his friend.
"- But it's three in the morning..." The azure-eyed child pointed with a yawn.
"- ...Eh, right..." The Osakan admitted, a bit shameful. " Then first thin' in the mornin'. Though, perhaps second thin' in the mornin'... Did ya speak o' the heist with the Kid ?
- The second one ? When you disguised yourself to take his place ?" At the teen's nod, the boy spoke again. " Well, not really. We just exchanged some theories about the men he thought had shot you...
- Ah, he knew who they were ?
- Don't change the subject, what's the link between me calling Ran and that heist ?
- Well, he went there as ya an'...
- Hattori..." Conan growled as the Osakan stopped in mid sentence, leaving a heavy silence.
"- We bumped into her, she came with that Suzuki friend o' hers an' o' course...
- ... she rushed at the one she thought was Shinichi. Great. And what ? If that damn idiot tried to kiss her again...
- What ? He already tried ta... ?" Spotting his friend's dark glare, Heiji had his answer. "Haha, that guy got nerves...
- So ?
- Nah... He just apologized fer not bein' able ta support her, with Conan-kun's death. An' promised he'd make amends fer that, asked her ta wait fer him. Oh, and right, he did hug her after that.. Think it was roleplay or he has a crush on her ? " The Osakan taunted his friend with a wink.
"- That damn..." Conan clenched his teeth. "Call him back here...
- Haha, are ya jealous ? Ya know, he was just playin' his part, dude...
- Imagine him doing this with Kazuha." The boy pointed out with a flat look.
"- I'd..." The teen's smile left his face, an annoyed expression on his face. "Hey, what's yer point here ? Kazuha an' I aren'...
- Nothing, nothing..." The small detective smirked, knowing he touched his friend's sensitive chord. " And by the way, what was that 'little chat' you're supposed to have with that Thief ?
- Can' tell ya else I'll have ta kill ya..." He joked, sticking his tongue at him.
"- Hattori...
- Nah, ta be honest, I can'... " The Osakan insisted, his face now serious. "I walked into somethin' I shouldn' have when he helped me ta find ya an' it wouldn' be fair ta speak about it...
- Understood..." His friend answered with a disappointed sigh. "Let's try to sleep then ? We'll go on with the chitchat tomorrow.
- Yea... I won' say no ta a good night o' sleep... 'Night, Kudô." Heiji said, getting up to switch off the light.
"- Good night, Hattori."
When the dark-skinned teen opened his eyes, hours later, recognizing nothing in the room he was, it took him a while to calm down and remember the last events. The road trip. His uncle. The discussion with his father.
He turned around to look at Conan's futon and jumped on his feet when he saw the bed was empty and the sheets already cold, he felt it as he crouched to put his hand on them.
"Crap, I hope that idiot didn' leave ta solve that on his own..."
Fearing his best friend could have left in the middle of the night, in a crisis of his usual "I'll solve everything by my own because I don't want anyone to be hurt for me', he looked around and saw with relief most of his things were still in the room.
Reassured about the fact Kudô was probably still around, Heiji silently got up and stretched, carefully at the beginning, time to check how his own body was recovering from his last misadventures. A good night of sleep, in a real bed, had been efficient for him to feel quite better, not at the top of his abilities but at least able to move without wincing.
After one last yawn, he heard a slight giggle coming from the other side of the wall and got out to check what it was, pushing the shôji to go out of his room. Noticing one of the nearby doors was opened in the hallway, he passed his head in the room to spot his friend, sitting on the floor, knees against him and back leaning on the wall. The boy had removed his sling to be able to hold the prepaid phone Hattori's father gave them in the hand, his bowtie in the other, and was casually chatting, a sad smile on his face, but the sadness wasn't in his voice, hidden, as he tried to cheer up the one at the other side on the line.
Not wanting to peep when his friend was doing what he advised him to do, he silently left, suddenly feeling the urge to find the kitchen.
o.O.o
"- ... Remember that face you made when you felt in that lake, trying to catch my hat ?
- Ha, I most of all remember that cold I got after that, the water was what... 5 °C ?
- Yes, I had to bring you your homework for at least a week after that..." Ran giggled at the memory. She stopped a little while and went on with a more serious voice. "Thank you, Shinichi, for cheering me up.
- My pleasure... Let me at least do that for you, as I can't be here when you need it...
- But still, thanks... We spoke a lot about me. And you ? Are you alright ? Some gunshots were heard at that heist we met and we never heard from you or Hattori-kun after..." The teen could hear the concern in the slight shaking in her voice, she had probably been refraining herself from asking since their call began.
"- Listen, I'm alright, ok ? So is Hattori. We are in a bit of a pinch right now but we're working on it, in a safe place.
- You're still with him ?
- Yes, but don't tell anyone and I won't tell you where, sorry.
- Nah, it's ok, I don't want you to endanger yourself for me... Just remember to tell Hattori-kun he should call Kazuha, she's really worried.
- Noted. And thank you. I know I'm asking a lot...
- Don't worry. Well, school break is over, I have to go back... Take care.
- You too. I'll call you laters, love you."
Lost in a daydream, Conan looked at his phone a moment after he hung up.
"Sorry for putting through this..."
His guilt didn't last long once he noticed his ears were red and he was hot as if...
"... love you?! Did I just tell her 'love you' ?!"
The boy face palmed, embarrassed to have let those little words escape from his mind to his mouth at such a moment. He had thought so much about the day he would declare his love to Ran and none of the possibilities implied a slip on the phone, above all in Conan's body.
After a few minutes of panic, the small detective took a few deep breaths to calm down and take the drama out...
"It's just a slip... That's what I'll tell her..."He shrugged, but he didn't even manage to convince himself.
Still, considering the problem was closed and burying it in a little corner of his head, he got up to check if Hattori was awake and ready for a breakfast.
o.O.o
"- Hiya !" The warm voice of Heiji welcomed him as he went into the living room.
"- Hi... Ohayô, Yamato-sensei. " Conan added with a little nod when he noticed the man was also in the kitchen.
"- Ohayô, Conan-kun... Though it's almost time ta say good afternoon, ya both slept like dogs."The medic smiled, a bit amused. " So, what will ya be havin' fer breakfast ?
- Bread and ..." His eyes fell on the cup of coffee in front of his best friend, almost drooling at the smell. He so much needed caffeine.
"- Think ya could give him a cup of coffee ? " The dark-skinned detective asked as he spotted theboy's face with a smile. " I know kids aren' supposed ta, but once in a while can' hurt..." He added, when he saw his uncle's frown.
"- Pretty please ?" Conan insisted, with big innocent eyes.
"- Haha, ok, ok. Just this time, eh ?
- Hai !"
The child took place around the table near Heiji, sitting on his legs.
"- So, how is Neechan ? " The Osakan asked, turning to his friend as he bit joyfully into his toast.
"- So-so... 'Told her we were both on a case, hiding in the same place and that it won't be possible for us to take contact with anyone as it was a bit that far from the truth, eh ?
- Yea... " The teen tilted a bit his head, feeling some information was missing as he saw his friend scratching his nose, ears a bit pinker than usual, as if he was trying to hide... " Are ya blushin' ?
- What ? I don't... " The boy waved both hands between them, as to clear a misunderstanding but looking ever more suspicious.
"- Don' try ta hide anythin' from the great detective o' the West, Kudô" Heiji smirked, gently nudging Conan. " What happened ?
"- I just... I ... " The small detective was a bit at lost with words under his best friend insistent eyes. " IkindaslippedtoherIloveyou...
- Uh, come again ?
- I kinda slipped to her "I love you"...
- That's my boy ! " Heiji giggled, slamming the boy's back with the hand.
"- Hey, careful !" His friend growled, as the teen almost touched his shoulder.
"- Sorry... But...What did she say ?
- Don't know, I hung up...
- Ya what ?
- I told you, it was a slip... I never mean to say... oh crap, I'm doomed ?" Conan asked with a bit of apprehension in his voice, putting hopeful eyes in Heiji's.
"- Haha, prob'ly, I don' think she'll let that one go..." The Osakan laughed, amused at the situation, under the child's dark glare, all hope remaining crushed by that confirmation of what he dreaded.
"- Stop laughing... You should matter your own business, Ran said Kazuha is extremely worried about you. Apparently, Tôyama-keibu was the one who discovered first you were in the ER and she overheard his call to your father..."
"- Uhh... sucks...
- Your turn ! " The boy smirked, though he had to stop his teasing as Yamato entered with a platter, his breakfast on it with, to Conan's greatest pleasure, a fuming cup of coffee.
The man smiled at the kid's joy, crossing his legs to sit in front of them.
"- So, what's next, boys ?"
The said boys exchanged a look, not really sure of what they should say... or shouldn't.
"- No worries, no need ta say anythin' if ya don' want ta !
- Yea, sorry, Yamato-jisan. I think we'll take some rest at yer home fer the moment an' go with a bit o' intelligence gatherin'. Would ya have a computer with an internet access we could use ?
- O' course. My laptop is in my room, I'm bringin' it ta ya." The man proposed, getting up.
"- Thank you. " Conan smiled.
"- An' I'll be leavin' ta work in one half hour, don' mind botherin' me if ya need anythin' else, it's now or never ! There's some food in the fridge fer when ya'll be hungry. Ya perhaps shouldn' wait fer me fer dinner, I'll be finishin' late ta catch back this mornin'.
- Ok ! An' sorry again fer the inconvenience..." Heiji apologized, feeling a bit intrusive even if it was a relative and he really didn't have any choice.
"- Don' mention it, I'm glad ta have my nephew at home again !"
"- Ok, where ta start ... ? " The Osakan said once his uncle walked out of the room, more for himself.
"- By that ! " Conan ordered, throwing the phone to him. " Get over this now, I'm sure you don't want Kazuha to make any fuss if she tries to find you...
- Yea, bein' in the BO's VIP list isn' that fun, I wouldn' want her ta join me in..."
The dark-skinned detective took the phone and got up, getting in the nearby room to have some privacy.
" - Yo ! It's me.
- ... Heiji ? Heiji, is that ya ? !
- Well, yea. Don' recognize my voice anymore ?" He smiled as he heard the eagerness in her voice.
"- What a relie..." She started but quickly stopped, as she remembered she was really angry. " An' that's now ya call ?! Have any idea o' how worried I've been since I heard ya got shot ?
- Hey, no worries, everythin' alright, ok ? Just wanted ta tell ya that, it's not really sure fer me ta call ya...
- What's the matter ?"She wondered as she began to think about the possibility that this attack could have been more than just a random aggression. "Where are ya ?
- Can' tell ya, fer both. But... Just don' look fer me, ok ? I wouldn' want ya ta make any fuss tryin' ta find me...
- ... Are ya callin' me 'cause ya're afraid o' me bein' too noisy ?
- Not exactly but..." The detective tried, feeling he perhaps should have worked on his wording as he recognized the first signs of a quarrel.
"- Kami, I can' believe I worried that much when..." Heiji heard Kazuha fulminate. "Got it, I won' try ta contact ya, won' be hard, it's not like I wish ta.
- Kazu... ha ?" He finished, a bit startled, looking at his phone to see she hung up.
"Well, that was fast..."
This didn't happened exactly as planned but the result was the same, she would keep a low profile. The Osakan shrugged, they'd be able to settle this later, it wasn't their first quarrel and wouldn't be the last. But first, he had to find a way out of this mess.
Remembering he asked to Otaki-han to investigate about the dentals' theft in case he could find something about the men who abducted Conan, he decided to call the policeman.
"- Otaki-han ?
- Hei-chan ? ! Ya ok ? Heard ya were in an hospital in Tôkyô with a bullet wound...
- Maah, that's a bit overrated, I'm not in the hospital anymore, had ta leave a bit hastily..." Heiji explained to sooth the concern he was feeling in the man's voice.
"- So ya were indeed in a mess last time when ya called me..." He answered, and there was some barely hidden reproaches in his words.
"- Let's say that case is a bit difficult, yea. About that, I wanted ta ask ya, did ya find anythin' about the theft by that dentist'I asked ya ta look in ?
- We found some fingerprints, which weren' from any employee there.
- Found their owner ?
- Yea, name is Temura Neroshi, he's got a file in our system but it's strange, I can' access ta his data. I probably haven' a high enough accreditation... Hei-chan, ta be honest, it's perhaps a bit too much ta swallow fer ya...
- Got Oyaji with me, don' worry, I'll ask him ta check that file with his login.
- Ah, ya finally spoke with him about this case ?
- Yea, had it's ok, he got me a shelter, I shouldn' be too much at risk at the moment.
- Good ta hear. I'll pass him the intel then.
- Ok, thanks.
- Don' mention it."
The teen hung up and walked back into the living room where Conan was already in front of the laptop. His friend looked like "Kudô" more than ever now that he decided to drop his fake glasses as they didn't protect him anymore.
"- Time ta work ?" He asked as he sat near of the kid.
"- Yes. Got anything interesting ? I heard you made two calls.
- Yea, spoke ta Kazuha an' then got some news from Otaki-han. Oh an', before I forget, here." Heiji said, taking a little box out of his pocket.
"- What's that?" Conan asked, before opening the box and turning excited eyes to his friend. "Is that... ?
- Yep, got those from that scientist Nee-chan, before I left ta retrieve ya an' the Kid in that BO's nest. She never asked them back so... " He shrugged, opening his hands as to prove a kind of innocence.
"- Great, at least I have a backup in case of emergency. " He smiled, pocketing the box and its two tiny pills.
"- Ya already have one, I'm here !" The Osakan wanted to point out.
"- Something useful, I meant."The boy taunted, his smile turning into a smirk.
"- Tsk... " The teen answered with a flat glare. "Less chattin' an' more work, pint-sized detective !"