Christmas at the Beach- Chapter 4
Author's notes: Final Chapter! I hope you enjoyed it!
It took five minutes to walk a sleeping Aoko in Kaito's arms. He timed it perfectly. Squeezing his arms around her shoulder, he waited until she shifted, then he moved it to rub her arm.
"Aoko, wake up. We're almost there." She shook her head unconsciously and buried it further into his shoulder. Slowly, Kaito coaxed her through the layers of sleep, petting her hair or poking her cheek until, finally, he saw her eyes move beneath her eyelids. Carefully, so as not to shock her into the cold, he removed his scarf from her neck.
"We're there?" She mumbled, sleep still trying to grasp her.
"We're here. Come on, we have to get blood back to our legs and feet." Kaito waited until Aoko lifted her head before standing up. His legs tingled slightly, but he had focused on flexing his toes inside his shoes to keep the blood moving. After dancing in place for a moment, Kaito squatted to rub Aoko's calves.
"Wherea re we staying? Chickage-san wouldn't tell me." Aoko took Kaito's offered hands and stood up with his help.
"Not sure. That lady knows how to keep her secrets." Kaito led the way back to the main deck, searching for their parents.
"Aoko!" Ginzo waved the teens to where he and Chikage had gathered their luggage.
The boat pulled into the harbor and the gangplank lowered. A few seasick individuals rushed off the boat to the nearby office building. The rest of the patrons filed off and dispersed towards the parking lot and town.
"The inn isn't too far away, so we can walk and see what's around." Chikage shouldered her bag and tugged her suitcase after her. Ginzo, who was about to complain about overtime work and lack of sleep, didn't even have time to open his mouth before Chikage yelled, "Hurry up, Kaito-kun! Aoko-chan! Dinner is going to be fabulous tonight!"
Kaito grabbed up his bag and helped Aoko with her suitcase. They all hurried to catch up to Chikage as she led them through the streets, keeping the ocean nearby at all times. Just when Ginzo was about to complain about walking, Chikage pointed to a sign at the end of the road.
The inn was a traditional Japanese inn with wooden floors, shouji screens and tatami mats. After checking in, Chikage informed Ginzo.
"Aoko-chan will be staying with me in my room. You can have Kaito." Grabbing Aoko, Chikage cheerfully followed the female worker up to the second floor. While Ginzo started to mention that it was the Nakamori's family vacation, Chikage responded by saying, "Aoko-chan is a female. Unfortunately, very much like now my own precious boy is missing a father, she is without a mother. I'm sure there are still some things she needs to ask a woman. Unless you want to explain those to her?"
His silence was her victory. After becoming friends with Kaito, Chikage became the mother figure, of sorts, for Aoko. Growing up led to delicate conversations, some of which the strong minded Inspector could not have with his daughter. Chikage taught Aoko about being a female. Kaito, without a father, was also taught by Chikage. She had no qualms about delicate topics like puberty. Her only kindness was that she taught them separately. Crazy as she was, she knew she shouldn't force them together. Hint at, yes; force, no. It would only dirty their blossoming feelings for each other. Or so she depicted in her mind.
"Your room, sirs." The inn worker opened a door for Ginzo and Kaito across the hall from Chikage and Aoko.
"At least we won't hear their incessant giggling." Ginzo threw his bag into a corner and sat down at the kotatsu, letting the heater warm his feet.
Enough time passed for Ginzo to fall into a light doze when there was a tap at the door.
"Kaito, open up!"
Opening the door, Kaito let Chikage and Aoko into the room. Seeing her father, still in his damp outer jacket, Aoko pulled it off him with deft fingers while Chikage got the padded jacket, a hanten, and draped it in the jacket's place.
"Dinner reservations are for seven-thirty. Will your father be awake by then?" Chikage sat down and pulled a deck of cards from seemingly nowhere.
"He'll be hungry by then. A little groggy, maybe, but I'm sure we'll be fine." Aoko had swapped all of her sea-dampened clothes for fresh ones. Even though the room was a pleasant temperature, she still snuggled under the kotatsu, near purring in bliss.
"Kaito, come watch and learn the new tricks I picked up in Europe." Chikage opened the deck.
What was a magic show for Aoko was a lesson for Kaito. She would only do it once and always at full speed. Kuraba Toichi used to teach Kaito the same way.
After the show, they used the cards to play some poker. A favorite pastime for both Kuraba's. As seven o'clock rolled around, Aoko carefully woke her father, they got ready for dinner, crammed into a cab heading to the center of town, and ate at a local hotspot. Ginzo and Chikage quickly fell into a story telling mood, each one trying to out-do the last.
Aoko sat, embarrassed at the display, while Kaito laughed it off. The other patrons seemed to enjoy the exuberant, if a little far-fetched, stories. Through the course of the meal, Kaito told Aoko to relax several times before making a flower appear to cheer her up.
Later, back at the inn, they took long baths in the separate bath houses before turning in.
The room only had one lamp on as Aoko tucked herself into her futon.
"So have you kissed yet?" Chikage propped her head up in her hand so as to easily watch Aoko's expressions.
"What? Kissed? Who?" Aoko could feel a tingle in her toes. She knew she would become redder than a tree-ripened cherry if this conversation was going where she thought it was going.
"You, Aoko-chan. Have you and Kaito kissed?" Fervent head shaking made Chikage smile slyly. "Kissing someone else? Sneaky girl. I knew you had it in you."
"What? No!" Aoko gasped, horrified. "I haven't kissed anyone!"
"My dear. You're seventeen. Live a little. Just be careful. Everything has consequences, but they aren't always bad. And not doing something, that is meant to be done, has equal consequences as doing something at all." Chikage paused, worry flickered over her face. "You do like him, don't you? Even just as friends? Because I know you are very important to him."
Aoko heard the real concern; none of the usual façade. She nodded her head in affirmation. Chikage was still talking.
"I mean, I'd understand if you have romantic feelings for someone else, but I'm a mother, you understand. Kaito's mother. He doesn't have anyone else who is absolutely on his side. I have to stand by him. Oh, but I do adore you, Aoko-chan."
"Chikage-san!" Aoko mangaged to interject as Chikage finally took a breath. "I do."
"You do? Great! What about?"
"Like Kaito. He's my best friend and almost as important to me as my dad is. But I have to take care of my dad. Expecially since Kaitou Kid is making work so much harder for him. I want to be what I can for Kaito, but right now, best friend is all I can manage." Aoko mumbled, afraid that Chikage might be aware enough of her confession to be recording her. Or worse, that Kaito could hear her talking.
"Oh." Chikage smiled with a sigh. "I feel much better after our talk."
She rolled over and turned out the light.
"If you ever need advice on how to jump him, let me know. I've had lots of practice on Toichi-san."
The room across the hall was dark and silent.
"I don't want to know, don't want to see, don't want to hear. But you continue to take care of my girl, alright? She's all I've got left."
"Yes, sir. That's the plan." Kaito spoke. "Well, you have Kaitou Kid, too."
"Damnable thief." Ginzo grumbled and turned over. Deep breathing filled the room and Kaito closed his eyes.
'Oh, the irony.' He thought as he drifted to sleep.
The next morning, the adults woke late, leaving the early risers to eat breakfast together before running down to the beach. Weather reports calculated a warm day, as if to make up for the cold snap the day before.
There were townspeople working at the water's edge and when the teens crept close to see what they were doing, they were recruited to help. As the sun crept over the horizon, the teens were sent on tasks like hauling rope and buckets. From the pile of garbage accumulating on the beach, they assumed it was efforts to clean the ocean.
At noon, the workers let Kaito and Aoko go, thanking them for their help.
"I'm so tired!" Aoko laughed, gasping for air as she and Kaito ran up the beach to the inn.
"Me too. But at least we're not cold." It was true, they had both worked hard enough to cut through the cold wind.
"Aoko! Kaito-kun!" Ginzo called for them from the deck at the back of the inn. "Let's eat!"
Lunch was quiet in the dining room of the inn. There were other patrons, but most were elderly and talked quietly amongst themselves of when they last stayed at the inn.
"You two should go into town." Chikage said, pointing to the Nakamori's. "There's lots to do there."
And so they did. Father and daughter spent time at the stores, gardens, shrines, and local museum before coming back for dinner. They arrived right after Chikage and Kaito.
"Dinner's going to be in an hour." They heard Kaito say as he looked at the clock.
"Kaito!" Aoko grabbed his arm. "Let's make a sandman before dinner."
The two scampered off, leaving the parents with smiles tugging at their lips.
Kaito managed to make a large sand-snowman, somehow avoiding getting dirt all over himself. Aoko made a family of small sandmen, complete with a dog.
The sun was low, but the waves still held the deep blue color as they crashed along the shore. Aoko pressed up against Kaito's side as they sat on the steps leading back to the inn.
"Are you enjoying your vacation, Aoko?"
"Very much. Though I never thought I would make a bet with my father to be here."
"Crazier things have happened." Kaito said, wrapping his arm around Aoko's shoulders. "Besides, it's kind of nice having Christmas at the beach."
"Yeah, it kind of is." Aoko sniggled into the warmth. Maybe they'll do it again next year.
~ ~ ~OWARI~ ~ ~