Fandom: Detective Conan
Title: Submerge
Author: Eeveebeth Fejvu
Theme: #12 – Your love is suffocating me
Pairing/Characters: Kudo Shinichi and Haibara Ai
Rating: K+
Disclaimer: I don't own Detective Conan. I requested Haibara to make me a pill that would somehow turn me into the creator of the shrunken tantei-san, but my order is in line behind the antidote to Apoptoxin-4869. …So, for now, I write fan fiction.
Summary: "Get this off of me," Ai commands seriously. Shinichi's grin widens.
Author's Note: Inspired by opening theme #20, "Namida no Yesterday," by Garnet Crow.
In her dark dreams, she is being pinned and crushed to the ground by Gin's boot, which is grinding mercilessly into her chest. She screams for help, for Kudo, for someone to save her. The dark alley is a surreal swirl around her though, so even as her screams weaken, she knows that this situation is temporary because this is just another nightmare. In her mind she remains calm, waiting to surface from these murky depths to catch a breath of reality, and soon enough, she is aware that she is awake with her eyes still closed.
Ai sighs softly, wondering when the old paranoia will cease to disrupt her sleep. Then she realizes that what she mistook as Gin's weight remains pressing heavily and warmly on her chest. Not only that, but her arms are pinned to her sides and her legs are pressed together. Her muscles tense automatically to fight or fly, the old habit revived by the dream. She forces her body to relax and her breath to remain steady. No need to panic just yet.
She opens both eyes slowly to find herself gazing into black-filmed glass. Reality descends upon her mind once more as she remembers where she must have dozed off. Beyond her sunglasses, she can see the rim of the beach umbrella and a sky blanketed in fluffy clouds above her. It must be late afternoon, she guesses, though the glasses are dark enough to make it seem like night. The smell of salt water invades her nose, and the cries of gulls and the crashing of the waves on the shore invades her ears. The blanket she is lying on is warm and comfortable, but the weight crushing the rest of her body is not; it is scratchy, rough, and suffocating, leaving her perplexed.
Presently, she recognizes the noise of a plastic scoop digging into the sand nearby and the slosh of sand as it is poured into a pile. Ai also identifies the not-quite-repressed chuckle that belongs to the detective she called out for in her nightmare. She becomes placidly curious and retains her façade of sleep in order to listen.
She hears the young, girlish giggle that belongs to Ayumi. "Shinichi-niisan! …What are you doing?"
"What does it look like I'm doing?" he replies. From his tone, she can tell he is grinning.
"Well, that's not very nice!" Ayumi does not sound serious, or even admonishing for that matter.
Ai hears a bit of apprehension in Mitsuhiko's voice, however. "Haibara-san will not like this when she wakes up."
Another scooping and sloshing noise follows. "…That's okay," Shinichi responds finally.
She hears footsteps in the shifting sand and labored breathing. "Here's the water," Genta says through his panting, and she hears a thunk – a child's plastic pail is set down.
"Thanks!" Another scooping noise is followed by a plunk as sand hits the water in the pail. Ayumi giggles again and Mitsuhiko makes a sound as if he is trying to stifle his amusement.
As the scooping and plunking sounds continue, Ai hears the sand shift again as someone else approaches. "Oi, Kudo!"
"What is it, Hattori?" Shinichi suddenly sounds rather exasperated.
"Kazuha and 'Neechan are playing volleyball right now."
"I know."
"…Well, doncha wanna play, too? We can do guys against girls, or-"
"Maybe later, Hattori." Scoop, plunk. Scoop, plunk.
"…Ya know, 'Neechan said-"
"I'll pass."
"Jeez… fine, Kudo. …Kudo, what are ya doing?"
"What does it look like I'm doing?" he replies coolly. Ayumi giggles. "Wait… okay, here we go." A moment later, the weight on Ai's chest abruptly intensifies as a pail-shaped mound of wet sand is upended on top of the heap of sand already encasing her body. "There! Almost finished. …Do you have it still, Mitsuhiko-kun?"
"Yep!" The boy replies. Ai hears his feet kicking up sand as he rushes off. Shinichi chuckles.
"Will she really appreciate that, Kudo?" Hattori suddenly asks, a wary tinge to his voice.
"It's only sand, Hattori, so I doubt-"
"I meant 'Neechan. …Do ya think she will really appreciate ya running off every time ya-"
"Later. I'm busy."
"…Okay, then, Kudo." Hattori sounds disappointed, and Ai doesn't blame him. She wonders why Kudo is not playing volleyball with the rest of them right now, wonders why he is hanging out with the children instead.
"Here it is!" Mitsuhiko shouts as he returns. Ayumi giggles again. Hattori snorts in disbelief. Suspicious, Ai forgets to pretend she is asleep. She lifts her head the slightest bit, trying to catch a glimpse of something more than the umbrella.
Shinichi catches her movement immediately. "And she finally awakens!" he exclaims dramatically. Ai is glad that her eyes are hidden behind her sunglasses because they are suddenly wide with surprise. Kudo Shinichi has built an entire sandcastle right on top of her as she slept. Grinning, he places one of the tiny red flags from the children's lunches on top of the newest, central turret. "Ta da! …What do you think,Haibara-san?"
Ai thinks that he has gone crazy but she doesn't say it aloud. The children all giggle nervously. Standing there proudly in his ridiculously patterned swim shorts, Shinichi continues to grin, waiting for her reaction. Finally, she speaks.
"I hate you."
The children erupt into hysterical laughter. Shinichi's expression doesn't change. His eyes meet hers even through the dark sunglass lenses, and his penetrating stare frustrates her. She wonders what he hopes to accomplish with this nonsense.
"Come on, Haibara-san. Don't be that way. Everyone knows that if you fall asleep at the beach, you're going to get buried in sand." Perhaps the summer season has brought out this childish side of his, she thinks. Perhaps it is because they are at the beach. Perhaps he has simply been around the kids too long. Perhaps he had simply been a kid too long.
"Get this off of me," Ai commands seriously.
Shinichi's grin widens, and he gets up, coming closer to lean down over her face. She thinks he is about to say something, but instead, his hands reach out to pluck the sunglasses off of her face. Immediately she screws her eyes up against the sunlight in vain; it seeps in through her eyelids anyway. Though unable to see him, she knows that he is still grinning as he cheekily replies, "No."
Annoyed at how her nap was interrupted, Ai opens her eyes slightly and, squinting, attempts to jerk against her heavy, sandy bindings. The children shriek in playful fear at her movement and back several paces away, ready to run should she escape. Shinichi backs up as well, though he remains calm. He holds the sunglasses up by one end and waves them, taunting her with his action and his grin. Hattori stares at Shinichi dubiously.
Ai jerks harder, trying to pull her legs up to kick against the sand. The walls of her prison are crumbling faster than the top, so her right hand is the first to break free. The children shriek excitedly again. Ai jerks her entire arm out, causing a mini landslide of sand, and begins to push away the mound on top of her chest. The newest turret falls away in damp clumps, burying the red flag in the ground. As the weight on her chest lessens, she takes a deep breath, secretly relieved that she no longer feels suffocated. With renewed energy, she gives a mighty heave, freeing herself from most of the castle's remains.
Now the children do run, hands waving wildly in the air as they flee from the scene. What they think she will do to them Ai isn't sure. Shinichi backs further away, signaling to Hattori that he would be wise to do the same. Hattori's expression abruptly becomes apprehensive. He backs up, keeping his eyes on the strawberry blonde girl, until he turns around to head back up the beach toward the volleyball net. Ai manages to roll over onto her side, then quickly gets to her feet, grainy particles scattering everywhere.
She doesn't bother with shaking the sand off of her beach towel because she is more interested in retrieving her sunglasses first, even though her eyes are quickly becoming used to the late afternoon sunlight. She doesn't even bother brushing off the sand that stuck to the lotion on her arms and legs. With deliberate, even steps, she stalks imperiously towards Shinichi, who is backing up at the same pace towards the lapping waves behind him. The grin is still there on his face, but it is softer now, more personal and less for show now that Hattori and the children have run off and left them alone. He stops as the very edge of the beach, water gently swirling around his feet as the waves roll in.
Finally gaining ground on him, Ai stops several feet away, not returning his grin. "Give them back." She holds out her hand for her sunglasses.
"You don't need them," he replies, smiling unyieldingly, "The sun is getting ready to set." Ai remains steadfast, holding her hand out sternly. The standoff lasts for a very long moment. The shouting of the children can be heard in the distance. A pair of gulls calls joyously overhead, scouting for beachgoers willing to toss them food.
Suddenly uneasy at what is transpiring, Ai feels forced to break the silence. "Why aren't you playing volleyball with them… with her?"
The grin fades slightly. Shinichi sighs, then stares at her solemnly for a moment. "They're dolphins," he replies.
She looks at him blankly until she remembers what she once said to him on another beach, another day. It seems like a lifetime ago now. "We've already had this conversation before," she states.
"No, you told me these things, and now I'm telling you." Casually, he opens up her glasses and stores them securely on top of his head in his damp hair, sweeping his bangs away from his forehead.
"What is it, then?" she asks impatiently. She wants to get back to her beach towel.
He hesitates for a moment, as if trying to find the right words. "…Even if dolphins are sweet and gentle, they are predictable… so sometimes it's not as fun as playing with sharks, which always surprise you." Ai stares at the young man, incredulous. He continues knowingly, "Sometimes sharks will ignore you, and sometimes they will bite you, but time spent with sharks is never dull."
Her face loses its surprise. Knowing that he is not going to give the sunglasses back now, Ai turns her back on him and begins to trudge up the beach, sand rising between her toes with each step. "I thought you decided you weren't going to run away anymore," he yells at her back, his voice sounding almost desperate, almost accusatory.
She does not stop or turn her head, but calls back to him as she goes. "I'm not running away from dolphins anymore." This is true. She is here after all, right? She came on this trip to the beach, didn't she?
"You shouldn't run away from detectives, either," he retorts. She shakes her head at his comment, eyes staring down at her feet as she walks. "You know why?" She ignores him. "Because detectives will always… CATCH YOU!"
Ai gives an involuntary cry as large hands grab her around the middle and pull her up off the sand. He had come up so fast behind her with those long teenage legs of his that she hadn't even had a chance to glance back. She flails in the air for a moment, his firm grasp being her only support, until she finds herself flipped around and held to his chest. Instinctually, her small hands reach for safety and she wraps her arms around his neck, her heart beating wildly in surprise.
"See? What did I tell you?" He turns around and starts to head back to the edge of the ocean. "You can never escape a good detective." Ai doesn't know what to say. She is silent, staring wide-eyed over his right shoulder at the protective beach umbrella that is growing more distant with every jolting step he takes.
She hears the smack of his feet on the water's surface as he takes the first steps into the surf. After that, his steps morph into a slow, effortful shuffle as the dense saltwater rises up his calves to his knees. Her arms tighten around his neck, though he is carrying her quite securely. His right arm is wrapped around her legs, his left hand on her back, pressing her solidly against him.
Ai tries to avoid thinking about the fact that his naked chest is warm from the sun and is slick with sweat and saltwater, because such a combination stirs up a feeling that she has always tried to repress around him. She is unable to avoid the thought, however; his bare skin is under her tiny fingertips, and her face is so close to his body that the scent of his suntan lotion lingers in her nose. After a moment, she thinks she can feel his heartbeat against her chest, but she is unsure since that would mean that his heart is beating at the same frantic pace as hers.
The tips of her toes suddenly touch water, and she removes her chin from his shoulder in order to look down. He is up to his waist in the surf and his shuffling steps are not coming to a halt. When she chances a glance at his carefully-schooled expression, she is cautious, because she knows that if she isn't, her slightly parted lips will brush his warm neck. She does not want to send the wrong message, though the ones he is sending her have left her in quite a disoriented state.
She resignedly rests against his shoulder once more. His hold on her has not relaxed nor given her a chance to break free. Even if she could, she isn't sure that she would be able to make it back to shore without his help. The further into the ocean he walks, the higher the water level that surrounds her, and now she can feel the surf on the back of her thighs. Moments later, the water is creeping past her waist.
Soon she takes her chin away again to stare down at the ocean's surface, this time with more apprehension. They are now up to the middle of his chest in the water, and the pressure of the brine combined with the pressure of his embrace is starting to make her feel suffocated again. Perhaps he feels her grip tighten, because he finally comes to a halt. A low wave rolls over them, bringing the water level temporarily up to her shoulder blades. Then it passes by.
"What is it?" he asks. She slowly and cautiously looks up at his face. He is staring at her out of the corner of his eye. At first, she thinks he is referring to her hold on him, and then wonders if some of her anxiety is showing on her face.
He doesn't give her a chance to respond. "You should know by now that I won't let you drown," he says, then more directly, "in the water… or in anything else."
A large wave crashes into them unexpectedly; both had been too distracted to notice its approach. While it passes over her head, she is completely submerged, caged by the forceful surf. She is somehow calm, though, even more so than she was in her nightmare because she knows that she will be able to catch her breath in just a moment… and this time, she is not alone.
And the wave moves on, leaving the little girl and the young man to spit out salt and shake the excess water from their hair. As their coughing subsides, Shinichi gives her a sheepish grin, knowing that his carefully planned zeugma has been ruined by the unforeseen event.
Ai stares past his shoulder, however, as the offending wave breaks on the shore. "I'm not unhappy," she says. Shinichi's expression falters before he realizes that she has, in her own way, answered his question.
"Sure…" His reply is dripping with sarcasm. She ignores it. Her eyes have locked back onto the umbrella and towel on the sandy beach.
Once more, the prolonged silence that follows his comment is punctuated by a gull's call overhead. This gull is alone, and its solitary cry seems filled with anguish. Ai wonders why it mourns.
"I just want you to know," Shinichi says suddenly, his voice wavering slightly, "that… that spending time with sharks is something that I… that I choose to do. I choose to do it because… I want to."
Ai feels that she is slipping down his sweat-and-lotion-soaked chest, so she struggles to get a better grip around his neck. Immediately his grip on her tightens to prevent her from fall out of his grasp, causing her to abruptly exhale. Before she can regain her breath, his lips are at her ear, whispering, "I just want you to know that I'm not running away from you either."
She can no longer look him in the eye. Instead, she stares down at the water. "…You didn't have to bury me in sand to make me stay."
Shinichi laughs at her huffy tone. "Is that so?" Ai doesn't remind him that she didn't leave.
Finally, she sighs and asks, "Why did you bring me out here?"
"… Because I wanted to watch the sunset with you."
Immediately she lifts her sight to the horizon. The magnificent setting sun is streaked with brilliant crimson, rose, and gold, and the colors are so intense that the fiery orb almost seems alive. It is a sunset more beautiful than any she can remember. Out of the corner of her eye, she peers at Shinichi's tenderly smiling face, which is even more attractive than the sunset.
She remembers the miserable nightmare of Gin crushing her to the concrete, forcing the air out of her lungs. And she pushes it aside. Though Shinichi's arms are suffocating her, she has never felt more alive.
He has always been able to take her breath away.