KudoeEdogawa presents...
Feelings
He obviously wasn't paying attention to a single word that Megure-keibu had said. Knowing him, he's probably cursing on how annoying Megure-keibu is right now. Childish, really..., both of them.
"...I see a lot of potential in you, boy; you're bright and in a right state of heart and mind, you can easily be promoted if you paid enough attention and worked hard enough! If you are ever to be married and support a family, I don't see how they'd survive!"
Ouch! That probably did damage to him as much as a rhino ramming into him. He's probably blaming himself for being so useless as an officer and doubting his abilities in life. He's got a strong sense of responsibility, I'll give him that, but did he seriously think that I'd care if he's successful or not as an officer? I just want him to be successful as who he is.
He gave a huge sigh and received a smack from Megure-keibu. I winced.
"Are you listening, Takagi?!" He roared. The glass on the doors rattled.
"Yes, keibu," he said with his head drooped.
I can just tell by the expression on his face that he was thinking too much and doubting his own abilities. Of course, constantly comparing himself to Shiratori-san probably doesn't help much either. I looked at him sorrowfully. This poor man just need a serious confident boost, is all, and Megure-keibu isn't helping with the roars and shouting.
"If you keep this up, you better start looking for a new job!" Came the harsh conclusion of our superior. He turned to me, "Satou-san, I do hope that you'd keep an eye on him more often from now on."
"Yes, keibu!" I replied and stepped aside so he may exit.
The door slammed shut, and Takagi dropped to his knees, burying his face in the palm of his hands, groaning. "I'm useless, aren't I, Satou-san?"
I knelt down beside him and gave a gentle pat, "No, you're not, you just don't have confidence in yourself. Get up! Don't be afraid! Life's full of struggles, and that's why we must work harder, right?" I smiled... not that he'll see with his face all covered up.
"No, I'm useless," he repeated. "Every time we go on a case, it's either you doing most of the work, or that we get help from Conan-kun and the Detective Boys. I probably would've been fired if it weren't for their help."
"Don't say that!" I said, a bit harsher and louder than what I had intended. "You..." I tried to give him a list of cases in which he was the hero, but in all honesty, I couldn't come up with one off the top of my head. My inner self sweatdropped.
"Megure-keibu is right," he said in a crestfallen tone. "I can't support a family... I can't give them anything; they'd starve! I'm pathetic enough, there's no need to drag other people into being pathetic with me."
"But-" I tried to speak.
"It's okay, Satou-san," he said, standing up and loosening his tie. "I'll quit this job first thing tomorrow morning, and I'll go ask Mouri-san to give me a job."
"Don't leave!" I said. Though my usual stern and stately expression doesn't show it, I'm worried. Way to go, Megure-san, I thought to myself. I've already lost Matsuda-san as a partner, it'd be heart-crushing to lose another one now. Especially when we've been through so much together already; that relationship and those memories are just not replaceable.
He headed for the door, hand reaching for the doorknob. I picked myself up and grabbed his arm, but he shook it off with a force so hostile and foreign that I was scared. So scared that I just didn't care anymore and flung my arms around him, my head against his back.
And I sobbed.
Epilogue
Her tears stained his blue coat. Takagi stopped halfway in opening the door, shocked by Satou's sudden and unusual behavior.
Satou tightened her grasp around him and sobbed into him, "Don't go." She said. "It wouldn't be the same without you..."
"You're right... the department would solve cases much faster and more efficiently," he said, forlorn.
"No, it's not like that!" Satou cried, "Why must you be so freaking hard on yourself? You don't have to be! You're not alone; I'm your partner! We're supposed to share the burden and responsibilities! It's not your fault alone, and it'll never be your fault alone. We're a team, we're in this together!"
"It's because of me that you got-"
"I love you!"
Takagi froze.
"I love you!" She repeated. "I don't want you to leave! It doesn't matter if you can't support a family on your own. A family is supported by its members!" She turned him around and faced him. "If it's too hard to do it by yourself... let me do it with you. Let us raise a family together."
Takagi stared into Satou's tear-stained face. A single pearly drop slid down his own face.
Two years later, much to Shiratori's disappointment, there was a newlywed couple in the police department.
-End-
A/N: Daaang, it's been two months since the Takagi part! Go back and re-read if you've no clue what the heck is going on. I probably will not update on very much anymore... please read the note in my Author Profile for information on current events and stuff. Yeah.
EmberMage, Daria: Thanks for Makoto's last name
The next few updates will be: Heiji/Kazuha, and finally concluding with Ai/Conan/Ran/Shinichi... Might do Sonoko/Makoto for a short short short extras ll
Thanks to all those who have reviewed!
Next Chapter: Heiji
