Naoko

Chapter Fifteen: The Feelings

He must have passed out, for when he woke up, he was in a bed. He kept his eyes closed, but listened intently for any clue to where he was. Rain pounded the windows. He bolted upright when he realized.

"Oh my god," he breathed.

"Shinichi are you up?" Ran's voice asked quietly from the doorway.

"Ran?" he asked waveringly. She stepped into the room and sat next to him when she heard the sound of his voice.

"It's okay, honey," she whispered, hugging him.

"I killed him," he whispered. "I'm a murderer."

"No, it wasn't your fault. Dad and I were there, we saw the whole thing. You'll be fine, I promise," she whispered, stroking his hair.

"I almost got you killed Ran," he breathed.

"No you didn't. You saved my life," she said calmly.

"It won't matter to the police. I'll be arrested for murder," he whispered.

"No you won't," she said firmly. "And if they try, they'll have to kill me first. I won't let them take you away. I love you too much."

"I love you too Ran," he said laughing slightly. "I love you too."

---

"Aoko please listen to me!" Kaito cried desperately. She walked faster, trying to get away from him.

"Get away from me," she said, tears in her eyes. Her voice wobbled with sadness and betrayal.

"Please Aoko! Please!" he whimpered. "Please just hear me out!" Aoko spun around, folding her arms over her chest and looking him in the eye.

"Fine," she said sternly. "Talk."

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry I lied to you, I'm sorry I couldn't trust you enough to tell you the truth. I'm sorry!" he said.

"You're sorry?! You're not sorry! You couldn't trust me! Friends are supposed to trust each other!" she shouted.

"Aoko! You never listened to me! I wanted to tell you but you said you hated Kaitou Kid! What was I supposed to do? I told you I'm sorry!" he yelled.

"You're only sorry 'cause you got caught!" she cried. He fell to his knees.

"Please Aoko, please! I wanted to tell you! But I couldn't handle it if you hated me!" he tried to explain.

"Well handle it now, Kid. Because I hate you!"

---

Heiji rubbed his forehead. It had been a long couple of days and he was tired. A gentle knocking alerted him of another's presence.

"Can I come in, Heiji?" Kazuha whispered.

"Yeah," he grunted. She entered. She rocked back and forth on her heels before walking swiftly over to the bed and sitting down next to him.

"Heiji are you mad at me?" she asked bluntly.

"What gave you that idea?" he asked sarcastically.

"Heiji why?" she asked disbelievingly. "Did I do something wrong?"

Heiji just shrugged and turned away. He stared out the window, watching the rain streak down the glass. He curled up in a ball like a little child afraid and rocked gently. She rubbed his back.

"Heiji?" she asked.

"Just go away. Go check on Kudou or something. You're worried about him aren't you?" he asked venomously.

"Not as worried as I am about you!" she said desperately. "Is that it? You think I like Shinichi?"

"No!" he snapped. He sighed, "Okay yes."

"Oh Heiji, that's so immature. But it's sweet that you like me so much you were jealous," she smiled.

"It's not like that," he grumbled.

"Then what is it?" she asked gently.

"Okay," he sighed. "I was jealous. But you make it sound bad when you say it like that."

"It's okay Heiji," she said. "I admit I was jealous of Ran for a little while."

"Why?" he asked curiously.

"Because I thought you liked her," she laughed. "Kind of dumb, huh?"

"Not as dumb as I was," he said. A loud rumble of thunder and a bright flash of lightning made Heiji jump and tense.

"Are you afraid of thunderstorms?" Kazuha asked smiling.

"No!" he snapped. "Okay yes." He trembled as more lighting struck and thunder roared in their ears. She wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close so her chest was pressed up against his back. Her hands linked with his and she pressed her cheek against his. She started to sing softly:

Donna toki de mo
Anata ha hitori ja nai yo

Dakishimeteta itami
Koboreochita shunkan ni
Yasashisa tabane arashi no naka he kakedasu
Yakusoku-shite koko he kaeru to
Hateshinaku tooku he ittemo

Donna toki de mo
Anata ha hitori ja nai yo
Tsunaida te ha hanasanai
Shinjiteru ano hi no kizuna
Tsuyoi omoi ga onaji yume wo sagashitsudzuketeru

She finished and hummed softly. Their breathing became synchronized as they sat together for hours, listening to the rain.

---

Kaito sat at the kitchen table, rolling a vial with clear liquid between his fingers. He sniffed, wiping tears out of his eyes with his sleeve. He gently uncorked the vial with his teeth and held it in front of his mouth. The bitter smell of almonds floated towards his nose. He gulped down the lump in his throat and pressed the vial to his lips.

"What are you doing?" Shinichi asked from the doorway. Kaito lowered the vial slightly.

"Do you think it'll hurt, Kudou?" he whispered.

"Hurt?" Shinichi asked slowly.

"When the cyanide kills me. Do you think it will hurt? It can't hurt as bad as it does now," he said, smiling slightly.

"You're drunk, Kaito. Just put it down and let me help you," Shinichi said, stepping foreword gradually. He shook his head.

"No, there's no way you can help me, Kudou. I appreciate the effort though," he laughed quietly. "It's been great, Kudou. It really has," he brought the vial to his lips and started to tip it back. Shinichi smacked it out of his hand. It crashed to the floor and shattered to tiny pieces, the cyanide forming a small puddle soaking into the carpet.

"Don't be stupid Kid," he said harshly.

"I don't have anything to live for, Kudou!" he snapped. "Let me do it!"

"No Kid. You might be clouded in darkness now, but it'll get better. You can't throw your life away because one little thing went wrong," he said.

"My whole life is wrong, Kudou!" Kid yelled, slamming his fist on the table.

"What did you do with the money, Kid?" Shinichi whispered. Kid looked up sharply.

"What?" he asked.

"The bank money we stole, Kid. What did you do with it?" Shinichi asked slowly. Kid looked away and muttered something under his breath. "What was that, Kid?" Kid looked over at him angrily.

"I said –," he cut off, looking down again.

"What did you say?" Shinichi asked gently.

"I said... I split it up and I sent it to orphanages and various families around the country," he said averting his eyes.

"See? If that's wrong then what's right?" Shinichi asked. "You're a great person, Kid. And if Aoko can't see it then she's not the right girl for you."

"But she has to be!" Kid cried. "I love her!" He broke down, falling to his knees and sobbing. Shinichi knelt next to him and pulled him into a hug comfortingly.

"I know Kid. I know," he whispered.

"What'll I do Kudou? Ran loves you back and Heiji has Kazuha! I'm the only one without a someone," he sobbed.

"It'll be alright Kaito. I promise," Shinichi said.

---

Ran combed her hair for the millionth time and studied herself in the mirror. She sighed impatiently and pulled the brush through her hair again. She was in her best dress, the one she'd bought with Sonoko almost three months before.

"What do you think Aoko?" she asked. Aoko was gazing off into space, not paying the least bit off attention. "Aoko!"

"Oh! Sorry! What was the question?" she asked, snapping out of her daze.

"I said, 'What do you think?'" Ran said impatiently.

"You look great!" she said.

"Thanks!" Ran beamed. "Aren't you going out with Kaito?"

"NO!" Aoko snapped angrily. "I hate him!"

"What?!" Ran asked, shocked.

"He's such a jerk! I hate him!" she fumed.

"Aoko!" Ran shrieked.

"It's true! We've been friends forever and he never told me about him or his father!" she snarled.

"Put yourself in his place!"

"He lied to me!"

"He couldn't tell you the truth!"

"I would've understood!"

"Then why don't you understand now?!"

"I don't understand why he felt he had to lie to me!"

"Because he didn't want you to hate him!"

Their arguing became louder and angrier as time went by. Finally, Aoko snapped. She grabbed a vase and hurled it across the room. It hit the wall and shattered into a million pieces. The pieces fell to the floor and Aoko stood breathing heavily. Ran went silent and turned on her heel, heading for the door. She opened it and turned to look at Aoko, her hand on the knob.

"I don't know what's wrong with you Aoko, but you need to get over it quick. Kaito loves you, and if you can't see that, then...I don't know what'll happen to you," she said. She slammed the door closed and Aoko heard her stomp down the hall. She let out a loud cry of frustration and sank to her knees. Nothing was right in her world.

---

PRIVATE - uh...yeah

Wing Omega - thanks for reviewing!