A New Beginning?
Chapter 10
It was a little after midnight when Kaito trudged tiredly up the stairs after a long session of Kaito's winding explanations and snipes from Sherry. He and Hakuba had made an agreement and Aoko would be leaving in the morning for London whilst Kaito stayed behind to unearth the alter ego that he thought he had buried forever. He wasn't sure how Hakuba had gotten hold of a Kaito Kid costume though.
However Kaito still couldn't get rid of the impression and niggling feeling that he was being lied to. The plan seemed… amateurish for a detective of Hakuba's calibre. Sure, it was undeniable that any strangers in the village would be noticed and since the place was pretty isolated it was possible to surround it if you posted people in the surrounding fields and in the sea, but wouldn't that be the first thing that The Organisation would think of?
Sleepily he shook his head as he brushed his teeth. His fatigue was probably fuelling his paranoia problem; it would seem different after some sleep. He spat out the toothpaste and rinsed his mouth.
He poked his head around Aoko's bedroom door to find her and Conan sitting on the bed playing Chess with the curtains still open and only her bedside lamp for light. Kaito strolled in casually and checked the number of pieces of each colour. Surprisingly Aoko was winning, but the fact that they hadn't bothered to close the curtains suggested that they had been played a few games and had been intent enough on trying to beat each other that they had forgotten how late it was.
"Bishop to D6, Tantei-kun."
Conan looked up at him scornfully. "I've lost both bishops Kuroba-kun."
"I wasn't been serious. It's what Sherlock Holmes does in that new film with Moriarty, I thought you would appreciate the reference. Besides I'm supporting Aoko."
"You call that a Sherlock Holmes film? The main character just had the same name as him, it wasn't Holmes," Conan argued, distracted from the game now.
"Checkmate," Aoko said triumphantly after 2 more moves. "Thanks Kaito."
Conan glared momentarily at him. "Since you're here I had better leave now. Thank you for the games Nakamori-san. It was fun," he bowed and left the room.
"Wait a second Tantei-kun," Kaito shouted and ran after him. "Tell Sherry if she wants to turn her hair back to its original colour she should just use a different shampoo. I spiked all the shampoos for light coloured hair when I was staying there as I was hoping to get Hakuba."
Conan raised his eyebrows. "Uh-okay. I will tell her."
"What did you do to her?" Aoko asked when he returned to her bedroom to say goodnight like he usually did.
"Turned her hair pink."
She giggled happily and Kaito smiled indulgently, content with the fact that he had made her laugh.
"Good night Aoko." He turned to leave and felt her grab onto the bottom of his shirt. "Aoko?"
Guiltily she retracted her hand. "Sorry. It doesn't matter. Good night Kaito."
Kaito noted the tremor in her voice and made an instant decision. He caught her hand and held it gently, remembering that she had done the same for him.
"You're scared," he stated the fact plainly. "Would you like me to stay with you?"
Aoko bit her lip. She had had a feeling of unease ever since she had set eyes on Sherry that evening and those feelings had increase since she had learnt that Gin was coming for her. She knew, or hoped that Kaito wouldn't let that happen to her. For some unknown reason she trusted him to keep her safe.
She nodded in reply to his question, aware that her face was slowly flushing red. Kaito patted her head comfortingly.
"It's okay Aoko. I've made arrangements and you will be leaving here tomorrow and I will join you the next day after I pack up all our stuff here. So you won't see Gin or anyone else like that."
Joyfully Aoko threw her arms around him. "Yes! I knew you would do it."
Then she realised what she had unconsciously done and stepped away from him without looking at him, unaware that his face was the same bright red as hers.
"Shall we get to bed then?" she turned away and began cleaning the chess board away to hide her embarrassment. Kaito walked over to the window and shut the curtains to conceal his face too.
"I need to put my pyjamas on," Kaito informed her as casually as he could to hide his uncontrollable red face. "I'll be back in a few minutes."
He hastily left the room leaving Aoko standing there becoming even more embarrassed by her request. Then she grabbed her pyjamas, brushed the knots that she had accumulated out of her hair and was in the process of removing her foundation when Kaito returned in his blue and white striped pyjamas holding a book which he set down on the bedside table and got into bed on the right side of the bed. He was glad that they both had double beds as it would be even more awkward.
"You don't need to wear any make up Aoko, you're pretty enough already," Kaito complimented her unexpectedly as she pulled the bed covers back next to him.
A silent blush crept up her face. "Um-thanks Kaito, but I need to wear it to hide the scars on my face," she said sadly as she climbed into bed.
Upon hearing her answer Kaito remembered that he had never seen her face up close before apart from the last time they shared a bed which was nothing to go on as they had turned the lights off. This made him wonder even more what Gin had done to her during their "relationship" and her imprisonment.
"Can I have a look?" he asked softly.
She nodded and after a few seconds he took hold of her face with his hands and traced the lines of the thin scars that criss crossed her cheeks with his forefinger. They were barely noticeable and he only could see them clearly when he turned her face to the side so the bedside lamp shined directly on them. Idly he noted that she had soft skin which looked healthier than when he had met her in Tokyo and then he realised that he was touching parts of her face that weren't scarred.
"Did He do this?" he enquired, still holding her face.
"Yes," she answered quietly and his gaze was accidently drawn to her lips and he became aware that he had a sudden desire to kiss her. He dropped his hands from her face like he had just touched a hot branding iron.
"Why?" Kaito demanded angrily.
His anger took Aoko by surprise; no one that she had talked to before about it had reacted like that. Everyone else: the doctors and psychologists had just nodded and written it down. Kaito was the first person that had truly taken an interest in her.
"My father tried to intervene in our relationship after not hearing from me for a while and forced his way into the apartment to take me home and found evidence of The Organisation before he found me and was in the middle of calling for back up when Gin shot him from behind. He then took his frustration out on me," Aoko explained calmly, staring down at her hands. For some reason she always felt calmer when she was with Kaito.
"I'm going to kill him," Kaito muttered quietly before he could stop himself.
Her eyes widened and Kaito mentally slapped himself. She grabbed his arm and then stopped.
"I don't think I would mind if you killed him anymore," she pondered aloud at her change in feelings.
"I don't love him anymore- he isn't that the man that I fell in love with."
"Aoko…"
She burst out laughing, surprised to discover that she had been holding onto her feelings for the original person he was for all this time. It was only now that she was able to come to this conclusion and she knew it was became a much better and kinder person had taken his place. Kaito Kuroba.
She stopped laughing when she became aware that he was staring at her concernedly.
"Kaito… I think I've fallen in love with you."
At her words Kaito froze and Aoko continued on.
"You're funny, kind and I don't detest your presence and I don't mind you touching me. And you remind me of my first love, you even do the same magic trick. I met him under a clock tower whilst I was waiting for my father once, but I admit that I have forgotten his name."
Kaito gasped in shock. It really was her…
Sorry for the awkward parts, I've never had a boyfriend so I really don't know anything.