Routines

By Crystal Snowflakes

Summary: There is something beautiful about the unremarkable day-to-day moments.


The sounds of raindrops falling on the roof and striking against the window pane as well as the repetitive thuds of the blade hitting against the cutting board filled the tranquility of the kitchen. The sweet scent of steamed rice wafted towards Ai as she seared the chicken in the hot skillet, the smell of the food causing her stomach to growl—it reminded her that her last meal was a cup of coffee and a few saltine crackers.

She couldn't help but enjoy this daily routine they had settled into. And while life was extraordinarily mundane and could almost be considered boring in recent days, there was something beautiful about the unexceptional day-to-day moments—the occasional corpses they came across satisfied any excitement she craved.

"Like this?" Conan asked as he leaned away from the cutting board.

Her gaze flittered over to study the size discrepancy of the cut potatoes, carrots and onions. With a small exasperated sigh, she gave a thankful nod anyway. "That'll do," she murmured wryly before returning her focus back on the sizzling pan.

"Tell me again why we're cooking every night rather than ordering out?" he asked dryly as the sounds of the faucet running was heard before he used the kitchen towel to wipe his hands. And then he wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his chin against her shoulder. "Hn?"

"Because," she said with a small roll of her eyes as she flipped the chicken with the pair of chopsticks, "we eat out enough during the day. And plus, cooking at home contributes to healthier diets—"

"Reduces calorie consumption, gives us more control of the ingredients and saves us money," he interrupted while reciting her reasons, his tone filled with mild amusement. "I got it. If you want to torture yourself with cooking every night after work, then by all means…" he trailed off as his stomach grumbled loudly in protest. "You do make the best curry though, so no complaints."

She let out a small laughter as he untangled himself from her and made his way towards the stack of case files on the kitchen counter and settled himself comfortably on the stool. Shaking her head with a small smile, she began sautéing the onions in the pan.

It didn't take long for the dish to come together—the delicious aroma of curry could be smelled throughout the house. She topped up their cups of tea before clearing off the table top, deliberately avoiding the chipped blue mug sitting in the way—she knew without looking at it that the inside of it was filled with dried tea stains. Even as she turned around, she could feel the way he was staring at her with his piercing gaze, his concern palpable.

Their metal spoons scraped against the ceramic bowl as they ate in relative silence.

It wasn't until she was about to stand up to clear the table that his hand wrapped around her wrist gently. "So I've been thinking—"

"Well done, Tantei-san," she cut in, her lips curling up teasingly. "I suppose there is a first for everything."

"Oi," he muttered, an insulted look on his face. "I was trying to be serious here."

"Hm? So was I."

He pulled her closer to him and pressed his lips against her temple before she leaned against him as she rested her head on his shoulder. "You haven't touched his mug for months. It's been sitting in the way of everything and you've purposely ignored its existence and it's—"

"Stop." It wasn't something she was ready to deal with yet—she wasn't sure if she would ever be ready to deal with reality.

"Fine," he conceded with a soft sigh. "Look, as I was saying before you cut me off… It feels strange to be living in the Kudou mansion when I'm not even a Kudou. Plus, mom and dad have been talking about moving back home to settle down and I will never live with them again."

"So you want to live next door to your parents?" she asked with a chuckle.

His fingers tightened around her before he forced them to relax. "I want us to get a place together."

Her head whipped around to look at him, her eyes wide in shock as she sat up a little straighter. His gaze held hers unflinchingly and she studied the look on his face as she tried to read his mind. "W-what?"

"So it was fine when you thought I was going to ask to move in, but now that I want us to get a place together, you're shocked?" he asked, a small, crooked grin on his face—a brief flicker of uncertainty flashed in his expression, but it quickly disappeared.

"Edogawa-kun…"

They had been together for so long that she had practically grown immune to his stares, but the look of excitement that gleamed in his eyes caused her heart to stutter just slightly.

"Come on, Haibara," he reassured her. "We're not actually in our mid-twenties anymore. I'm old enough that I could be going through my midlife crisis," he quipped, the corners of his eyes crinkling with mirth.

Biting her lower lips to stop herself from smiling, her gaze darted towards her slim fingers as she looked down at them thoughtfully. And while she had never really cared before, part of her still wanted to be a good role model for Ayumi—plus, she wasn't sure how everyone else would react—how Ran would react. "We're not—"

"Married?" he asked as he took hold of her hand, his thumb drawing lazy circles on the back of her fingers. "Is that what you're worried about?"

"No," she responded truthfully.

"Look," he murmured, his voice gentle with just the smallest hint of apprehension. "This isn't ideal, but I've already got a ring and—"

"W-what?" Her heart pounded loudly as her chest squeezed—her breath caught in her throat. She forced herself to school her features as she pretended the maelstrom of emotions didn't exist. Instead, she raised her eyebrow coolly. "This had better not be how you intend on proposing to me, Edogawa."

He winced as a small lopsided grin full of repressed amusement graced his lips. "You're a hard woman to please."

She let out a small snort. "I put up with you everyday. At the very least, I deserve a fancy dinner out of it."

His fingers threaded through hers before he tightened his hold. "But it's better to eat at home since it contributes to healthier diets, reduces calorie consumption—"

Annoyed, she shot him a flat glare.

He snickered, the sound of it causing her heart to swell. "Does that mean you'll say 'yes'?"

She tried to keep herself from blushing, to no avail, and nudged him in the ribs with her elbow playfully instead. "Guess you won't know until you ask, Meitantei-san."


Author's Notes: Eeek! I had such a fun time writing this one and I hope you had fun reading it too!

As usual, comments and kudos are very much appreciated!

Completed: January 26, 2021