"Holy shit Aho-ko." Kaito stopped himself from reaching out, fingers twitching.
She grinned even bigger, flexing her arms. She wore a sleeveless dress just to show off, he was sure, and dear god her biceps were like blimps.
"It's what happens when you're off in Hawaii for the summer and no one can stop me." She laughed and picked up his bags, hair swaying behind her back as she took off. "C'mon, we need to get going. We've already made plans for dinner."
"What? Where?" He skipped after her, still marveling over the definition of her arms. And judging by how easily she draped both bags over one shoulder, lifted a stranger's duffle bag back onto the luggage cart, and yanked him up next to her out of the crush, well, she likely just spent the whole summer getting ripped.
"Nowhere fancy," she said, waving to a few little girls watching her in awe. "Everyone's missed you so we planned a special dinner. Did you know Mouri-chan's friend is back in town today too?"
"Uh, about that-"
"Plus, I even got Hattori-kun and Toyama-chan to come!"
"That's great!" Kaito had to force his eyes away from her arms, eyebrows rising as she caught another person's falling bag against her knee and nudged it upright. The man thanked her and pulled the bag on his shoulder with a huff. "But, really-"
"Your plane was late!" Akako said, waving at them from curb. She stood at the side of her town car, visibly brightening as Aoko waved at her. "We're going to be late to dinner!"
"What?" Kaito said, stalling a little as Akako opened the car door, and her creepy driver took the bags from Aoko. He visibly slumped under the weight.
Akako laughed, threading an arm with Aoko's and pulling her into the car.
"What is even happening right now?"
"You went away for the summer and I got a girlfriend," Aoko said, smiling brightly at him as Akako rested her head on Aoko's shoulder.
"Don't worry, Kaito-kun, I'm taking very good care of her," Akako said.
"What is even happening right now?" he repeated, only for both of them to laugh at him again.
"I knew you were gonna be surprised, but I don't know what you're more surprised about," Aoko said, turning to press a kiss against Akako's cheek. "I didn't want to mope all summer just because you were gone, and I knew you were going to spend your summer training yourself. So, I decided to work out. And Akako didn't have plans for the summer either, so we spent a lot of time together."
"It certainly didn't hurt that she can lift me in one arm." Akako said, stroking Aoko's arm.
"Like that scene in the movie where the bad guy lifts all three girls on the bench up over his head," Aoko agreed, and then finally there was a faint blush on her face. "I didn't realize at the time I got that strong."
"I wasn't complaining at the time," Akako said, smiling with unspoken innuendo, "or any time after."
"Holy shit," Kaito placed a hand over his eyes, a little overwhelmed. "Congrats, I guess?"
"Thank you," Aoko said primly, "What were you saying earlier?"
"Doesn't matter," Akako interrupted, "We're here."
Kaito hadn't even realized they'd left the airport and they were already at the restaurant.
He swear he can hear Hattori just from outside.
"Hakuba-kun is introducing them to his date, I believe," Akako said.
"It's just official now," Aoko said, and she helped Akako out of the car, both of them gazing at each other before he coughed to get their attention. "I was uncertain how well everything would work, but they seem to have made it work."
"Speaking of official-" But Akako lead Aoko passed him and through the restaurant door.
"We're here with the Mouri party," Akako said, addressing the host.
"It's about time! How are you this late?" Heiji stood up as the host lad them to their table, Kazuha waved from her spot beside him. Ran and, well, someone that Kaito hadn't met before, but was certain was Hondou Eisuke, and there was Hakuba and right beside him...
"What the hell are you doing here?" Kaito asked, throwing out an arm to stop the girls behind him.
"Well, hello to you too," Spider said, leaning into Hakuba's shoulder and smiling.
"Have you lost your mind?" Kaito demanded, staring at Hakuba and the way he relaxed into Spider's hold. "Are you drugged?"
"I don't see where you have stones to throw," Hakuba said.
"Excuse me but what the fuck?" Heiji demanded, but he wasn't looking at Kaito, no, he was staring at the person Kaito had overlooked.
"He's not normally like this," Shinichi said, getting up from the chair beside Ran to approach him.
Aoko pushed Kaito's arm down, stepping around him with a sigh. "I told you that waiting to surprise him would be a mistake."
"I've never experienced so much joy," Hakuba said, completely deadpan. "You've already made us very late, so could you please just sit down?"
"To eat? With him?" Kaito grabbed Shinichi's arm and pulled him beside him.
"This is partly why I said you needed to take the earlier plane. Then you would have been here with me and found out when I did that Gunter was a deliberately placed spy with Estonian Foreign Intelligence." Shinichi said, guiding Kaito to his seat and nodding at Aoko. "If you hadn't insisted on getting a few more hours sleep, you could have taken my flight."
"I have no idea what is happening today," Kaito said, dropping his head into his hands.
"You're so dramatic," Aoko said, patting his head consolingly. "Now didn't you have something to tell me?"
"Some how it just doesn't seem like a big deal," he said, "But I'm dating Shinichi."
"Well, we already knew that," she said after a pause. "What? I'm guessing you don't remember leaving me an intoxicated voicemail about how much you loved your new boyfriend and hoped we would too?"
"Kudou told me weeks ago," Heiji said.
"Same for me," Ran.
"I just assumed, considering you coordinated your flight information together." Hakuba.
"Well, I suppose that's a decent consolation prize." Akako.
"Oh, congratulations, Kudou-kun!" Kazuha.
"Well. You could do worse, I guess, Kudou." Hattori.
"You should really be more careful with your social media," Spider said.
Kaito jerked his head up to glare, and was disappointed when both Hakuba and Spider just smiled blandly back at him.
"I don't like you," Kaito said, wincing as Aoko smacked the back of his head. "Hey!"
"Be nice, Ba-Kaito. I can put you outside if you won't behave."
