Numbered
By Crystal Snowflakes
Summary: She commits these little moments to her memory—she knows there's only so much time left.
Ai stifled a small yawn as she climbed up the last flight of stairs that led up to the rooftop, glad to get away from the swarms of students. The school roof was their only place of respite and even then, it wasn't always quiet. It wasn't uncommon to find young teenagers hiding behind generators, attempting to find some privacy for a make-out session. There were numerous times where she'd had to remove them off the roof and tell them to go and eat their lunch. Luckily for her, they always seemed receptive to her suggestions—the flat stare she gave them had nothing to do with it.
Placing the two bento bags on the ledge before settling down with her ankles crossed, Ai looked up to the sky. As she leaned backwards, the tall chain-link fence clattered loudly, causing her to frown mildly. She watched the wispy clouds float away lazily past the perfect blue summer skies—it was easy to lose herself and remember just how inconsequential and small she was in the grand scheme of the world.
No matter how meticulously well her life had been planned, a small change had shifted the entire course of her future—had it really been over ten years since then?
A sudden feeling of tiredness gripped her, causing her eyes to flutter close wearily as she gave a sigh, still stubbornly holding back a yawn.
She would have done anything for a coffee right then.
The sound of the roof door swinging open caused her to return to her senses immediately, realizing that she had almost fallen asleep. As she straightened herself up, she wondered for a split second whether it was another pair of young teenagers that she would no doubt have to persuade to leave.
Except the familiar sight of a cowlick that graced her caused her heart to flutter ever so slightly—he could never find out, of course, otherwise she would never be able to live it down. His nearness never failed to evoke a feeling of comfort and joy.
"You're late," she murmured accusingly.
Rolling his eyes at her comment, he bent down towards her and handed her a ceramic mug she hadn't noticed earlier. Her eyebrows lifted in question, but she took the cup in her hands willingly anyways and sighed contentedly as the dark, rich aroma of coffee wafted up her nose. Bringing the cup up to her lips, and she took a thankful sip of the steaming hot liquid as he sat down next to her, stretching his long limbs awkwardly out in front of him.
"I had to ask Nomura-sensei if I could use the staffroom coffee machine."
"How'd you know?" she asked softly as she twisted her head to face him, their gazes meeting.
He shrugged nonchalantly as his fingers picked up the bento bag and began unpacking the box. "You look tired today."
Of course he would be able to notice the lack of sleep she had been getting—it was next to impossible to hide anything from him and she didn't know why she even bothered. Her cheekbones pinked lightly as she struggled to hide the twitch of her lips that was threatening to become a smile. Clearing her throat instead, she ducked her head and put down the mug of coffee on the other side of her before picking up the bento box and leaving it on her lap.
"So?" he asked, scooting sideways just close enough so that their shoulders were touching. "Can't sleep? Nightmares?" He stuffed a mouthful of rice into his mouth with his pair of chopsticks.
"That's not it," she said as she unpacked her own box and took a small bite of the fried chicken she had made earlier this morning.
"So what is it?" he pressed the question. "I've noticed your lab light on lately."
"You are such a stalker," she said teasingly with a chuckle, hoping that it would throw him off.
His eyes suddenly narrowed, the familiar sharp and inquisitive glint shining through in his cerulean gaze and she realized then that he wouldn't let it go. "Seriously, Haibara. What is it?"
Her heart pounded loudly in her chest and she felt her apprehension rising—she wondered if she would be able to keep this from him. Keeping her breathing as calm as she could, she gave him a flat stare and used an excuse that she hoped she wouldn't have to use. "Would you believe me if I said I was taking on extra credits?"
He blinked, clearly not having expected that response. "For what?"
"University," she said as she scoffed at the look of incredulity on his face. "Is it that shocking?" She grabbed the mug and took a sip of coffee, her throat suddenly feeling dry.
"No…?" he muttered disbelievingly. "You've never mentioned it before, that's all."
Her lips lifted up slightly in a smug grin. "I don't tell you everything, tantei-kun."
His brows furrowed in concentration as he studied her and she knew he wasn't entirely convinced. "No, you don't," he finally relented after a pause. "But you're still hiding something from me."
Ignoring the way her stomach was tightening nervously, she hoped her impeccable acting would manage to throw him off her scent. "Maybe," she hummed breezily as she lifted an eyebrow in challenge. "Are you surprised?"
He gave a light snort before shooting her an unamused look. "No."
"After all…" she trailed off, her lips twisting into a mocking smile as she drew him closer to her until their faces just mere inches apart. "A secret makes a woman, woman."
His eyes widened comically before he spluttered in disbelief. "Did you just—"
A peal of genuine laughter burst out from her and she threw her head against his shoulder as she peered up at him, her eyes shining with mirth. "I wish you could have seen your—"
"Tch," he interrupted as he tried to look offended and the way his lips lifted just slightly in the corners caused her breath to catch in her throat. "You're not cute at all."
"Ara, ara. You're just annoyed I caught you by surprise," she retorted lightly before sitting up to brush her lips against his jaw and pulling away, a gentle smile on her face.
It never failed to amuse her whenever he was embarrassed and he blushed deep red. "Jeez, you're bold today."
With a twinkle in her eye and a quirk of her lips, she took up her chopsticks again and placed a small bite of rice in her mouth. Before her courage would abandon her, she placed her head on his shoulder again and closed her eyes to enjoy the mild breeze and warm sun on her skin.
Deep down, she reminded herself that she would have to savour these little moments and commit them to her memory—she knew that these untroubled and enjoyable days were numbered and there weren't many left.
Author's Notes: This is the only one in the series that has a bit of foreshadowing and yes, I promise it's going somewhere. Can anyone make a guess what she's hiding from him?
Thank you for being patient with me—I know I had initially planned to update after two weeks, but well, NaNoWriMo was a lot more challenging than I had anticipated haha. Hope everyone enjoyed this one! I did manage to throw in a little bit of fluff at the end too, so hurray!
As usual, comments and suggestions are very much appreciated!
Completed: November 19, 2020