Title: A Bachelor's Life
Author: Ran-dezvous
Genre: Family and General
Fandom: Detective Conan
Character: Agasa Hiroshi, with mentions of Fusae Campbell/Kinoshita Fusae, Kudou Shinichi/Edogawa Conan, Mouri Ran, Haibara Ai/Miyano Shiho, the Black Organization, Miyano Atsushi, and the Detective Boys
Word Count: 694
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Doesn't have any plot at all, so if it's not your cup of tea, feel free to skip. Also contains mild spoilers for Agasa's First Love/Gingko-Colored First Love (Files 410-412/Volume 40, Files 7-9; Episodes 421-422).
Original Publish Date: January 10, 2013
Disclaimer: Fanfiction is essentially free advertising! Therefore, please don't sue me!
Notes: Written for Dreamwidth's Fandom Stocking 2012 per gladdecease's request! Asexuality/demisexuality and meta, I hope this "make[s you] happier than words can say" and, once again, thank you so, so, so much for the Kogorou/Eri fic you wrote me last year! Also written for Many Cases, One Truth's (located on both LiveJournal and Dreamwidth) Challenge #79: Child(ren).
Summary: Agasa Hiroshi's thoughts and feelings regarding his bachelorhood.
Agasa Hiroshi had lived by himself most of his adult life, and he was all right with that. While, yes, his first love would occasionally pop into his mind, especially in the presence of gingko trees during the fall, he wasn't terribly miserable without her, either. Heck, he couldn't even remember her given name at all!
He didn't remain single all his life out of a loyal and everlasting love, as sweet and romantic as that would have been; he did so because he never felt any sort of attraction to anyone else, so why bother entering a relationship? For the sex, like many of his contemporaries? But he wasn't particularly interested in that, either; he had been too busy with his academics and, later on, his work as an inventor and game programmer.
Through the years, he had watched his peers, little by little, get engaged and married. He had been invited to all of their weddings, and he did not feel a single ounce of jealousy—well, okay, maybe a little. A lifelong companion would be nice, after all. However, he wasn't attracted to anyone romantically at the moment, so what can he do? It wouldn't be fairnot to mention ridiculousto his future wife if he married her just for the sake of marrying.
So, he didn't. Instead, he babysat for his friends whenever the occasion arose. And he wouldn't just babysit them, he would take them places! He was especially fond of camping, though. Sometimes, after a day of fun in the woods, he would lie in his sleeping bag, about to go to sleep, when the realization struck him: he would probably never have children of his own. He was fine not having a wife, but the thought of not having his own kids was quite depressing. Always having to "borrow" other people's children . . .
That is, until little Shinichi-kun and Ran-kun would start squabbling about the existence of ghosts (or something similar), snapping the middle-aged man out of his reverie. And his longing would be forgotten until the next camping trip.
It was no surprise, then, that he had become particularly fond of his young charge, Haibara Ai (real name: Miyano Shiho), the not-girl he had taken in several months ago. While it was true they weren't biologically related (heck, she's not even adopted), it was the closest thing he had to having an actual daughter. Someone who actually lived with him and he could see everyday, seeing her having the childhood she never had and slowly opening up to others, what more can he ask for? (Well, except for the downfall of the Black Organization and the creation of the antidote, that is. That, and maybe if she didn't try to control his diet so much.)
Would she even take the antidote once the Organization has already been taken down? He couldn't say; it wasn't easy to get into her head, after all. Whatever her decision, however, he hoped their ties would not be severed at the end of it all. He wasn't expecting her to consider him as her own father (and he wouldn't dream of replacing his late friend, Atsushi!), although it would be nice if she thought of him as a trusted relative—a grandfather (he was old enough to be one, anyway), perhaps? Heck, even a distant relative would do just fine!
And the Detective Boys? Would they still be interested in visiting him and going places with him once Conan and/or Ai aren't around anymore? Do they even appreciate the things he does for them?
If the answer ends up being in the affirmative, then, he can truly say he isn't alone anymore. And while not in the form of a girlfriend or a wife, he had his surrogate daughter (and her adventurous trio of friends). It didn't matter anymore even if they weren't his own flesh and blood; what he had right now was more than enough. He was absolutely fine with Kinoshita-san as somebody else's wife.
Though, it wouldn't stop him from thinking about her on those rare occasions. Especially if they involve gingko trees in autumn.
And thus ends my first fic that's longer than five sentences since 2009, yay! Professor Agasa definitely needs more love and, if he were an actual father, he'd be the best one in the series (not that Detective Conan has a lot of good-father figures to begin with, haha)! I was originally going to write an Agasa and Ai family fic, but it ended up going in this direction. /sweatdrops Oh, well, there's always next time, I suppose.
That said, I'm not completely satisfied with this piece; I had to rush writing most of it in order to meet the deadline on Fandom Stocking (which you guys should totally join, it is an awesome community, and no one, no one i goes home empty handed, seriously!). (I didn't make it in time, by the way. /is shot) So, if there's anything to criticize, please, please, please feel free to do so!
Hmm, now I feel the need to write Agasa/Fusae one of these days, so look out for it! Until next time!
