Disclaimer: *sigh* Once again, I don't own Magic Kaito. Gosho does.
The Touch of FateBy Dreaming Fantasy (edited by Leftover Shrimp)
Chapter 5
Kaito sat by himself in front of the clock tower. People rushed past him, hurrying to catch buses, to meet friends, lovers… His heart gave a squeeze as he lifted his eyes up to gaze at the majestic clock tower. It was here he first met Aoko. He could remember it clearly. It had been a crisp autumn day. She had been waiting for her dad who had been late. Seeing her standing there alone, the red and gold leaves swirling around her feet and a faint breeze teasing through her hair, he had known then that she would be special. He had introduced himself to her with his flower trick and had been enchanted by the delighted smile that had blossomed on her face…
But all was useless now. He dropped his face into his hands, his happy memory shattered. She probably hated him for not telling her. Why had Akako done this to him? Why? If it hadn't been for her…
Kaito sighed. Blaming Akako wouldn't fix the problem. This day would have come sooner or later. He had been a fool for hoping he could keep up his charade forever. But he hadn't reckoned with the pain that he would feel.
Everything reminded him of Aoko. The wind whispering through the trees held a trace of her soft voice, the careless laughing of girls walking down the street made his breath catch in his throat, sent his heart beating wildly in the mad hope that it would be her. Even that girl, walking past with the mop, looked like Aoko…
He was brought out of his reverie by the sudden collision of the mop with his head.
"Ouch!" He looked up, rubbing his head where the mop had connected. "Watch i-" He stopped in mid-word, blinking to make sure his hallucination hadn't gotten out of hand. It really was Aoko!
"You better do some explaining, mister, or you'll get more than just an ouch." Aoko waved the mop menacingly, but her lips were touched by the shadow of a smile.
So he told her the whole story. How he found his dad's secret room. How he discovered the truth behind his dad's death. How he became Kaito Kid. Aoko sat silently through it all, her eyes reflecting sorrow and… understanding—for him.
"I never meant any harm, and I'm really sorry for making your dad spend so much time away from you and for keeping this from you." He could not bring himself to look at her, instead choosing to stare down at the ground.
"It's okay, I guess. But why didn't you tell me?" Her voice held a twinge of hurt, but to Kaito's relief, not a trace of accusation.
"Are you kidding me? I'm a criminal, and you are the daughter of an inspector. And you hate Kid, remember? I figured you'd kill me."
"But I haven't. Well, not yet anyways. But how did Akako know?"
"She has her magic… and Hakuba figured it out as well, even though I've denied it all these times."
"I still can't believe you kept this from me."
"I'm sorry. How many times do you me to say that?"
Her lips twitched upwards, and finally surrendered themselves to a full smile. "It's okay. I forgive you."
Disbelieving his ears, Kaito lifted his head and stared at her, mouth open with shock. "You forgive me?!"
"Yes, I do. These days have calmed my anger, and I don't want to lose you."
"Thank you, Aoko… You have no idea what this means to me… but what are we going to do from now on? I mean, Kid still needs to steal things. You won't tell your dad, will you?"
She flashed him a conspiratorial smile. "I guess not. I suppose we can just go on acting like normal."
"Are you okay with it?"
"Well… couldn't you have come up with a better plan to find your father's murderers?"
"Trust me… I've racked my brain for weeks, and this was the best plan I could think of."
"Hmmm…"
"But seriously are you okay with this arrangement?"
She impulsively gave him a hug. "Akako was right. You have your reasons for doing this. I shouldn't have lost all my reason like I did."
Kaito's eyes widened in surprise. "You talked to Akako?"
"Yeah, she was the one who persuaded me to come talk to you."
"Really? I got to thank her sometime then." Kaito couldn't believe Akako had done that for him… Unfortunately, there was no way for him to repay her. All he could do was hope that she'd find her own happiness someday… He really felt guilty now, for blaming her earlier.
"Hey Kaito?
"Hmm?" he replied absentmindedly, still musing about how much Akako had sacrificed for him.
"Were the things that Akako said true?"
"What things?"
Aoko glanced slyly at him. "You know, about the clock tower incident and about how you think I'm beautiful?"
"Uhhh…" Kaito blushed. How was he going to get out of this one?
~Fin~
A/N: Finally done! Please review!
