There Was Only One Cave
there was only one cave
https://archiveofourown.org/works/63742741
my piece for the @alabasta-zine
the rest of the zine is available for download now so please check it out! there's so many amazing pieces including the cover art for this fic :)
as usual fic below the cut <3
~ ♡ ~
“They got away! There was a huge wall of fire!” Isuka walked past the marines gathered by Captain Smoker, she didn’t know the man that well.
“Who was that pirate anyway?”
“Yeah, he looked strong.”
Isuka rolled her eyes: the quality of recruits these days.
Isuka recognised the swordswoman standing near them, Tashigi. She had an exasperated look on her face. “You guys seriously don’t know the commander of the Whitebeard Pirates' second division?”
Isuka froze as she was walking down the streets of the bustling Nanohana. She had heard rumours and even seen photos, but she was here to see for herself if what people were saying was true.
Portgas D. Ace was back in paradise.
She had missed him in Drum Island, but had heard from the locals that a man matching his description had been by. They remembered because, strangely, it didn’t snow that day. They said he was going to be waiting for someone in Alabasta for ten days. That meant she had a chance to finally catch up to him.
She had spent the last two days in the port town of Nanohana, hoping this was where he was waiting for whoever it was he was waiting for. The journey itself to the Alabasta Kingdom had taken five days. She was already three days behind Ace, meaning today was her last chance of finding him. Her time off was also coming to an end, so, in reality, this was likely the last chance of seeing him again.
She grabbed one of the marines by the collar, surprising him. “You’re sure it was him?”
Tashigi nearly drew Shigure on her. “Isuka!”
“I asked. Are you sure it was him?!”
The marine was shaking. “Yes ma’am!”
“Thank you,” she let him go, nodding at Tashigi. “Where are they?”
“Escaping, probably out to sea already.”
She knew it was a long shot as she ran towards the coast, but she just had to try. Maybe she could catch a glimpse of him. That would be all she needed.
She almost fell into the sea in her haste, and two nearby people had to grab her stumbling form to make sure she didn’t.
“You should be more careful, Miss,” the man said. The lady next to him nodded.
She bowed in embarrassment, “Sorry. I wasn’t watching where I was going.”
“Where are you going in such a hurry, love?” The lady asked.
She couldn’t answer, instead spinning around to scan the view. She saw the Straw Hats’ ship sailing and at least five other ships burning around it. This fire meant he had to have been there. So where could he be?
She nearly gave up hope, turning to once again apologise to the helpful people, when out of the corner of her eye she saw him heading back to land.
She had a chance.
“Where is that boat headed to, do you know?”
Both of them looked over to where she was pointing. “It’s all desert over there, I’m not sure what is there.”
She sighed. “Thank you for your help,” she bowed again before running in that direction, hoping to see where he landed.
~ ♡ ~
Isuka had never run so fast in her life. She sprinted back to her room and grabbed her things. She was wearing her usual vacation clothes under an open white robe and a red shawl wrapped around her neck that she covered her head with when she went outside. Her sunglasses were on her face instead of her head. Her uniform was stuffed haphazardly in her bag, and her rapier at her side once again. She had paid in advance for the room, quickly thanked the clerk and got back to the chase.
She pulled out the map of Alabasta she purchased when she first arrived. She didn’t know where exactly he was going, but there were a few places he could land. There was a small cove-like area in between Nanohana and Katorea that was her best bet.
Stuffing the map back into her bag, she began running again. She knew it was stupid to try and run all the way. However, her options were very limited, she didn’t really have the funds to rent one of the animals that could transport her. They were hard to catch and tame and therefore cost too much. Sandboarding was also off the table since the desert was mostly flat near the coast. So, trying her best to pace herself, she continued.
By the time she made it to the edge of the town, her lungs were on fire. She knew the heat would be affecting her stamina, but didn’t think it would be this much. Her view of the cove was being blocked by a sand dune, so she began clambering up it.
When she had made it to the crest, she stopped, taking a sip of her water and looked down. She spotted the cove, but it was hard to tell whether such a small boat was docked there. She was starting her descent when she tripped over something in the sand, an orange scale stuck out of it. Steadying herself, she drew her rapier. She didn’t know what types of animals dwelled in the Alabasta desert. She was surprised when a timid-looking purple gecko emerged tearfully, holding its head.
She immediately sheathed her sword, apologising to the animal. It didn't seem to hear her at all, and she felt bad, so, rummaging through her bag, she found some crushed biscuits and opened the packet to offer them to it. The noise snapped it out of the pain, and it suspiciously accepted them. She watched as it ate them, seemingly enjoying them.
“You’re not very dangerous, are you?” She chuckled as it tried to bend down, presumably to be scratched. She obliged, “You’re just as needy as Kotatsu.”
She smiled fondly at the memories of the precious lynx and his owner, suddenly missing those days. She gave it the rest of the biscuits she had.
She began to draw her arm away when she had an idea. A ridiculous one but worth a try.
“Hey, do you think I could ride on you?” The gecko blinked in confusion, she signalled that she needed to get to the cove in the distance, and it seemed to understand. “Could you carry me there?”
The gecko nodded, apparently happy to be useful, it bent down to allow her to ride on its shoulders. As soon as she stopped adjusting herself, it began moving.
~ ♡ ~
She held onto her scarf as the gecko raced across the desert. Never in a million years did she think this would happen. When she neared the cove and saw the striker pulled up onto the sand, she let out a sigh of relief. Ace, however, was nowhere to be seen.
She jumped off the gecko a small distance from the striker, just in case he would notice her from somewhere and take off. She gave him a chocolate bar he was saving for herself and watched him run back. Walking towards his striker, she noticed his footprints walking away from it, but close to nothing else. He’d left his watermelon bag in the striker. She rummaged through it, finding nothing but maps, some food and water and some pictures. She was inspecting the pictures, there was one with a suspiciously familiar vermilion bob in the background, when she heard a noise from behind her.
She drew her rapier and spun to face the source of the sound.
“Birdie?”
“Fire fist?”
Ace stood with his arms up in surrender, “What are you doing here?”
She pointed her rapier at him, “I could ask you the same thing.”
“You already know why,” he smirked. She was chasing him again, there was no way she was here out of pure coincidence.
“I don’t think I do,” there was a small blush settling on her cheeks. He stepped closer, slowly lowering his arms.
“You don’t have to lie to me, Birdie.” he was in front of her, pushing down her sword. “Were you expecting a chase? For old times' sake?”
His smile was infuriating to her, she sheathed her sword, “I don’t have the energy for that.”
He began to jog, “Another lie, afraid Isuka? You’ll probably lose again.”
He was laughing, and she had to prove him wrong, so she chased after him, not bothering to drop her bag. They hadn’t even run 100 metres when Ace turned to taunt her and fell through the ground. Simply vanished.
Isuka ran closer, “Ace!”
There was a hole in the ground where he had disappeared. She tried to peer into it but felt the earth give way, and she was falling too.
~ ♡ ~
Isuka groaned as she sat up, a dull pain in her back. She looked around to see where Ace had fallen. She didn’t immediately register that she had fallen onto him, her vision struggling to get used to the dark.
“You know you don’t exactly weigh nothing, right?” The voice came from below her, and she scrambled off of him. Dusting herself off and holding out a hand to him.
“Are you okay?”
He accepted her hand and got up, “Don't worry about it, I'm sturdier than I look.”
She chose to ignore his charming smile and look around instead, “Where on earth are we?”
“Good question,” he peered around the tunnel they’d fallen into, lighting a fire in his hands. “Looks like ruins of some sort.”
“Oh, I read about this!” Isuka rummaged through the bag and pulled out a book, the known history of the kingdom. “Apparently, the Alabasta Kingdom once fell victim to a massive sandstorm. Much bigger than the other ones. It buried most of the tunnels they used to use to avoid the sun. The people just built over them since their old homes were too buried. Some have been unearthed, but the majority are still buried to this day.”
“Why do you even have that book?”
“It looked interesting,” she defended, putting it back in her bag.
“Well, does it say anything about how to get out?”
“No, just that they exist.”
“Great.”
“Hey, we wouldn’t even be here if you didn’t run away!” she stabbed a finger in his direction.
“Me? You're the one who followed me out here!”
“Not to capture you! I just wanted to talk!”
“Oh,” he scratched his neck sheepishly, “about what?”
Her throat suddenly felt dry. “What on earth are you back in paradise for?”
“I’m chasing someone, a traitor. I plan on bringing them to justice,” he pulled out the photos in his pocket, “someone said they had intel to give me if I met them out here.”
She accepted the stack of photos, scanning through them, “Why did you have a photo of me in your bag?”
“Huh?” he looked like a deer in headlights, “You saw that?”
She handed him the photos, “Yes, I did. It was from far away, like someone was spying on me.”
Ace stammered, “Well, uh, Skull said that, someone said they saw you, and that photo was proof.”
“And?”
“And I kept it?” He really didn’t have any other explanation. Thankfully, she sort of believed him and hadn’t found the stack of newspaper clippings of her (that would be impossible to explain). Or that he had been the one to ask Skull about her whereabouts.
“Well, we should probably get out of here somehow. You think one of these leads out to sea?” She pointed at the fork they were standing at.
“Only one way to find out.”
~ ♡ ~
Isuka sighed as she watched Ace try to push random tiles on the wall in front of them.
“Like I said,” she whacked him on the back of his head, “it’s a dead end, so stop trying!”
“How could I have been wrong! This has to be a secret passageway!”
“Why are you surprised? You’re not correct very often,” she scoffed as she picked up her backpack and began to walk away.
“Hey! What was that supposed to mean?” He chased after her.
“We should have gone right like I said,” she mumbled to herself. “Just cause you won the coin toss.”
“Hey, I won that fair and square!”
~ ♡ ~
As soon as they were back to where they started, Ace let out an annoyed noise.
“I can’t believe we’re at the start again!”
“I don’t know why you’re acting like it wasn’t your fault.” She slid onto the floor, not caring about the sand that would end up on her. She was hungry, so she began rummaging through her bag.
“Wow,” he sat down next to her, “it’s like nothing has changed.”
She didn’t look up. “What do you mean?”
“Us,” she looked up, “we haven’t changed, we’ve been reunited for like an hour, you wouldn’t assume we haven’t seen each other in two years.”
“I guess,” she finally managed to find her emergency snack bars. Wordlessly handing him one and eating the other.
They ate in silence, mulling over Ace’s words. He was the first to get up, holding his hand out to her. She accepted it, dusting herself off when she was standing.
“Okay, let’s get out of here,” she began walking towards the path on the right. “This time the right way.”
He jogged after her, “How many times do I have to apologise for that?”
“You haven’t apologised at all.”
“Oh, well, I’m sorry.”
“Save it, Fire Fist.”
“Yes ma’am.”
~ ♡ ~
“See, the sand here is damper than the sand where we fell,” she held out her hand to him. “We have to be getting closer to the sea.”
“No, it is not,” he poked it, “what are you? A dampness meter?”
She threw the sand at him, “Believe whatever you want!”
He spluttered, coughing out the sand that ended up in his mouth, “Hey! What if that makes me sick or something?”
“I thought idiots couldn’t get sick,” she continued walking down the corridor.
“Yes, we do!”
“No comeback for the idiot thing?” She asked when he caught up.
“Not a convincing one,” she burst out in laughter, and he stared in confusion. He’d never made her feel anything but annoyance before. It was starting to get increasingly warm, even though he only held a small fire in his palm.
“Come on, I think we’re nearly out.”
She was correct; they only had to walk another 10 minutes before they saw the light. It was a welcome sight.
“It’s so beautiful,” she took a deep breath in as they stood in the sheltered cave. The waves crashed lightly, and a breeze blew past them, making her hair flutter.
“It really is,” he smiled, looking out at the view.
~ ♡ ~
More Posts from Clover1412 and Others
under your shadows
another tsujitsuji fic <3
also i didnt tag graphic depictions of violence because personally (as someone who does not do well with gore) it wasn't too bad. but if there's ever anything wrong with my tags please do let me know! i always complain about people who don't tag correctly but lowkey I'm bad at tagging so let me know :)
as usual fic under the cut as well <3
~ ♡ ~
Each breath was becoming more and more of a struggle to take. Her lungs felt like they were burning. Gripping her gun weakly, she tried to take a step forward, attempting to aim at the man attacking her.
‘You’re going to shoot me?’ He scoffed, ‘You can barely stand.’
He was right; she’d sustained too many injuries in the fight. Her vision was blurring, there was a pounding in her head, and she felt like she had been shot at some point.
She glanced back; there was a figure slumped over by the shutters. The pale blond hair, stained with blood, revealed his identity to her. Ayatsuji-sensei. Unconscious. Hurt. Dying.
The man was stepping closer to her now, pulling out a knife. She tried to steady her hand, reinforcing her threat of shooting him even if it was a weak one.
‘Now, now,’ he was being condescending, talking to her as if she were a child throwing a tantrum. ‘We don’t have to do this the hard way. I’m sure those drugs are doing a number on you.’ Drugs? She couldn’t remember how he’d gotten them in her. ‘I don’t want to cause you any more pain than I have to.’
‘Step back,’ trying her hardest not to sound scared. He continued to move closer, so confident that she wasn’t capable enough.
‘Still protecting him? You government agents are truly foolish people.’ The muzzle of her gun was against his chest now. ‘Well, are you going to shoot me?’ He cocked an eyebrow at her.
She pulled the trigger, but nothing happened; the telltale click of an empty magazine echoed in her ears.
He chuckled as the panic filled her features. How could she have run out of bullets?
She made a move to grab his knife, but the drugs in her system were slowing her down. He dodged easily. It was pathetic really, for a trained agent like her to be knocked to the floor so effortlessly.
Lying at his feet, she felt an overwhelming sense of defeat. She was going to die here. She was failing the division. She was failing Ayatsuji-sensei. She was failing herself.
Looking at his shadow, cast on the floor next to her. Maybe she was nothing without her mother’s ability.
‘Mother,’ it came out more like a cry, ‘I’m sorry.’
~ ♡ ~
Tsujimura jogged to catch up with Ayatsuji as they entered the building. ‘Sensei! Wait up! I don’t have a good feeling about this building.’
‘Why should you? It’s most definitely a trap,' his flippancy shocked her.
‘A trap?’ She fumbled for her phone. ‘Should I call for backup?’
‘Do whatever you wish,’ continuing to walk into the warehouse. He began to take in the room. There were modern additions to the older structure. There were large frames with items still on them blocking the entire room from view.
‘That's strange. I can’t get any signal in here,’ she lifted it, shaking her head in confusion. ‘We’re within city limits here.’
‘Signal jammer,’ he continued to smoke, seemingly unbothered by the situation. ‘Whoever’s doing this seems quite determined to get us alone.’
‘Maybe we should come back later with backup,’ she turned around, ready to get out of the creepy place, but there was a loud mechanical groaning. Tsujimura to stop the door from shutting. What followed was her exasperated shout and a loud clanging sound.
‘It would seem they have gotten us alone.’
‘This is bad, Sensei. The division doesn't know our location, and we cannot contact them.’ She pulled out her gun from its holster and joined him. There were no signs that there was anyone else with them, but she couldn’t shake off this awful feeling pooling in her stomach.
They were considering their next move when smoke started to fill the room.
‘We need to get out of here!’ Tsujimura started to move, but Ayatsuji grabbed her hand.
‘Don't move,’ he was looking around, trying to figure out what their next move should be whilst they still had some visibility. That’s when he noticed something strange with the smoke: ‘Tsujimura, don’t breathe. Don’t talk. We need to move now.’
He dragged her along, heading out of the storage area. The smoke was virtually nonexistent in the corridor area they were in now.
‘Sensei? What’s going on?’
‘A trap,’ he was looking around for a way out, but all the shutters were closed.
‘You’ve already said that?’
‘The smoke was to lead us here and to split us up, probably.’
‘But the smoke was drugged?’
‘So you noticed it too? Not bad, special agent.’ Despite their precarious situation, she felt a little proud of herself. ‘Yeah, a low dose of an anaesthetic. If we’d attempted to stay, we’d slowly lose consciousness.’
‘Giving us no other choice but to come here,’ Tsujimura spoke as a figure emerged around the corner, ‘and to fall into this trap.’
Clapping, loud clapping, ‘Bravo! You truly are as good as they say you are, Ayatsuji Yukito.’
He remained emotionless, regarding him as if he were a pedestrian on the street; he tipped down his sunglasses to glance him up and down. ‘Do I know you?’
The man stopped 10 meters away from them. ‘I don’t think we’ve ever met.’
Ayatsuji took a long drag of his kiseru before he spoke again, ‘You went through a lot of trouble for someone who doesn’t know your name.’
‘Oh,’ he winked before he carried on. ‘That’s the beautiful part. You do.’
Tsujimura remained glued to the spot, unable to do anything. Her instincts were telling her they needed to get out now, but she couldn’t move, no matter how hard she willed her legs to.
‘The string of murders recently across the globe,’ the man nodded in delight as Ayatsuji spoke. ‘One man, high-profile targets, a very impressive killer. They call you Vipère?’
Tsujimura interrupted, ‘French?’
‘Correct!’
‘Just like his shoes,’ the criminal laughed, but Ayatsuji continued. ‘Named for his use of viper poison to kill his targets. The first of which was a French bureaucrat.’
‘You’ve done your research, detective,’ he took off his hat and took a bow, ‘how flattering that is to hear.’
‘You still haven’t told us what business you have with us.’
‘Us?’ He chuckled as if he’d just told a particularly funny joke, only he was the only one in on it. ‘No detective, my business is only with you. Sadly, your babysitter will not be joining us today.’
It happened before she could even react. He snapped his finger, and she felt something wrap around her—scaly, cold, squeezing her—a snake winding around her, binding her legs and arms.
Ayatsuji tried to step closer. ‘I wouldn’t do that if I were you,’ he motioned to the snake as it wrapped around her neck before stopping. ‘As you probably know, this particular species of snake isn’t venomous; however, I’m sure this wouldn’t go in her favour here.’
He stayed still, his face twisting into an expression of disgust. An ability user, he’d overlooked that.
‘Perfect, now,’ he stepped closer to them, ‘to deal with you.’
Tsujimura tried to scream out, to tell him to get out of the building, to leave her, but the snake was slowly constricting. At this rate, she was going to run out of oxygen before it crushed her bones. All she could do was watch.
Ayatsuji put out his kiseru, tucking it into a pocket before taking off his coat and hat. ‘Usually, I would’ve asked Tsujimura-kun to hold my stuff; I’d hate to put it on this filthy floor.’
‘Sorry,’ he shrugged noncommittally, ‘I can’t have her interfering.’
He sighed before abandoning his stuff on the floor. ‘Well, whatever this is, maybe we should get it over with.’
‘There’s nothing I’d like more.’
She wasn’t sure what happened in the following moments, the lack of oxygen keeping her out of focus. It wasn’t until she felt the snake writhe and let her go that she had some semblance of what was going on. As soon as her vision returned, she grabbed her gun and scrambled away from the body of the snake. She could only guess how Ayatsuji-sensei had managed to kill it.
‘Tsujimura! Get up!’ It was Ayatsuji shouting; he was being pinned to the floor.
‘You just couldn't die, could you?’
She didn’t waste any time, aiming for the man attacking them. She shot at him twice, the latter grazing his shoulder.
‘That bitch,’ he snarled, releasing his hold on Ayatsuji, allowing him to escape.
She kept her gun trained on him; he didn't try to move. Instead, he began laughing again. It was starting to seriously piss her off; nothing about this was remotely funny.
‘I was hoping it wouldn't have to come to this, but I guess this was never going to happen the easy way.’
That’s when the corridor began to fill with smoke, much quicker than the storage area.
‘Ayatsuji-sensei!’ Tsujimura had lost sight of him immediately. ‘Where are you?’ She heard movement all around her, struggling to place the other two people in the room. Why isn't he responding to her?
She tried to breathe normally; the last time this happened, they had been able to retreat, regroup, and plan.
‘Sensei!’
‘Idiot! Stop speaking; you are alerting him to your whereabouts.’ He sounded in pain, but the voice was close by. She spun around trying to pin down his location when she felt an arm on her shoulder. She nearly shot him but recognised the gloves.
‘Sensei,’ she whispered, ‘you're hurt.’
‘The bastard got a couple of hits in,’ he wiped the corner of his mouth. ‘Listen, we have to get out of her-’
She blinked, and he was gone; there was a loud crashing noise as something collided with shutters. ‘Sensei!’ She swore she saw something huge attack him.
She felt breath on her neck, ‘Now to deal with you.’ Before she could react, she felt something pierce her skin.
Turning around, she fired her gun. Three shots. She could tell none of them had landed. She needed to deal with the criminal, needed to check on Ayatsuji-sensei, and needed to get out of there. But with every noise, she was flitting around like a butterfly. She had fired twice more, feeling something near her; she was sure at least one had hit him again. But now she only had one bullet left; she couldn't use it until she was completely sure.
Just as the smoke began to subside and she felt a flicker of hope, she was knocked down. Something had hit her knee, hard. ‘You really are just a stupid bitch, aren’t you?’
He was swinging a metal pipe at her, a crazed look in his eyes. Almost serpentine in its appearance.
She dodged, trying to grab her gun from the floor near her. Watching her struggle, he took a step back. Taking pleasure at how lethargic her body was, her weak grip on the gun, and her difficulty in standing up.
‘You're going to shoot me?’
~ ♡ ~
The man had turned around, loading his own gun, preparing to kill them both. He was muttering to himself, Ayatsuji first, then that stupid agent. She breathed shallowly as the shadows at his feet seemed to expand. She blinked, wondering if the drugs were messing with her brain. When she saw the shadows lift off the ground, she was sure she was seeing things in her last moments.
However, when she felt the shadows surround her, she was sure it was real. She had not felt this presence since Ayatsuji-sensei’s ability had killed it. Yesterday’s Shadow Tag.
It was weaker, unable to hold its own form. But it was strong enough to use her, lifting her to her feet and cloaking her body, giving her a renewed sense of strength. There was a time in her life when she would have hesitated to use this ability, but this was not that.
She waited for him to turn around, watching his expression distort into one of fear.
‘What the fu-’
She didn't want to kill the man before he could serve his sentence for all his crimes, so she knocked him out. Wrapping him in shadows so he couldn't try to escape and dragging him out with her.
Walking over to Ayatsuji-sensei, Shadowling had slashed through the shutters next to his body. This allowed her to pick him up and exit the building. The ability stayed until she managed to get back to her car, carefully placing Ayatsuji in the back seat and handcuffing the other man.
When the shadows disappeared, she used the last of her strength to call for help. Holding out until she heard the sirens approaching them. She let herself rest when she knew her job was done.
~ ♡ ~
"At that moment, I got the terrible feeling that I was never going to see Shinichi again."
Original [link] by Sergio Cupido
I tried drawing KID in tbhk style! 🌖✨
saying I miss a character is so funny I don't even know what I mean. I could engage with the media anytime. i could even read or even WRITE fanfic. but man. i miss the character
To the idiot I Loved
still one of my favourites <3
Chapter 1
He picked up the piece of paper on her desk, the handwriting clearly hers. He could see the parts she had struggled, or had pressed a little too hard. These were the words she'd wanted to reach him, the tears that she'd cried for him. He took a deep breath, reading her last words to him.
To the idiot I loved,
I never thought I'd be writing this, not in a million years, but someone once told me I needed to take more risks. So this is my risk, I'll pour my heart out for you, whether you reply or not.
Read it once or twice or more, just don't throw it away immediately. Think of it as one last request, I won't bother you again.
I still miss you, even after you said goodbye, after you said your apologies, after I told you I hated you.
And sometimes I hug that pillow you loved just to cry some more.
You told me you loved me, is it too much too ask whether you still do? Or if you even think about me.
How could I physically hate you after these past months.
I still think about you, you know?
About the times we laughed.
About the times we cried.
The times we argued.
I can't watch my favourite movies now, they all remind me of you.
I can't drink that stupid wine you love, I get drunk too easily.
Sometimes when I lie on the sofa, I wish your arms were around me, like those days we were too tired to move.
Or sometimes I bake a cake and realise you're not there to help me.
You came into my life like a bouquet of flowers, only to wilt, but there was me trying to revive dead flowers.
It took me too long to realise that I was in love with you.
I hope you don't miss me the way I miss you.
I wouldn't be able to stand seeing you like that.
From,
that girl you once knew.
He would never throw it away, never.
After all she said the one thing he'd always wanted her to.
He still loved her too.
~ ♡ ~
Aoko leant back against her sofa, she was finally finished. The novel she had spent the past 2 years working on was coming to a close. What had started as a way to cope had suddenly become a way for her to say the things she couldn't in real life.
It was meant to be lighthearted, not the type that would make you cry ugly tears. But here she was writing a letter she knew would break hearts.
Looking back at the last 2 years, it was definitely the fight she had with Kaito that spun a dark side to her book. She hadn't seen him for a while, not since the day they fought, over Kaitou Kid of all things. No matter what it was that thief had taken things from her, things she cherished, so when she found out about his secret she couldn't help but feel betrayed. She said things she didn't mean, but that idiot had told her the one thing she wished he'd never did.
This letter was for him, for the character she'd based off of him, for the things she'd never be able to say in real life. She could only hope it reached him.
Chapter 2: Aoko
In the days up to the release of her 4th book and even the days after were hectic to say the least, her previous books were all about mystery and crime and this was her first romance based book. Albeit with a small hint of mystery. That's why Aoko was very shocked to see the popularity of the book, she'd been to book signings, interview panels and was even on the morning news. She even got to meet some old friends at her book release party.
Apart from dodging questions about the inspiration for her character, especially the new fictional heart throb she'd created, she couldn't have been happier. Well apart from one other thing, Kaito hadn't turned up to any of them. She was pretty sure he wasn't dead, after all he'd hosted a heist the night before her book was released. She thought she saw him at the party, but the only person fitting the description at the party was Kudo Shinichi and as good as he is at disguises, she didn't think he'd be able to fool Ran for that long. If he'd come in disguise he didn't make himself known. Which in truth disappointed her, she was over the moon with the popularity of this book, but the person who'd inspired it wasn't there.
After the initial heat of popularity had cooled down, she suddenly had a lot of free time to spend with her friends and family. She'd been invited to the Shinichi and Ran's anniversary party, which was just so glamorous and elegant, she knew Kaito would have fit right in. He'd been invited apparently, she had arrived late due to a meeting, which meant they just missed each other, but the apologetic look on Kazuha's face said he had left because of her. However that couldn't stop her from having fun, especially since all her friends were there.
She caught up with her high school friends, Keiko was getting married so she was invited to their engagement party. Another was pregnant so she was invited to their baby shower. And another had found someone they wanted to spend the rest of their life with. Aoko felt like she should have been happier for them, their lives were all progressing, whilst she couldn't bring herself to get over Kaito.
~ ♡ ~
She met up with Chikage when she got back to Japan and was showered with all sorts of gifts from America, they spent the day catching up and chatting. They were currently sitting in her living room, after dinner, sharing a bottle of wine Chikage had bought.
'Say Aoko-chan, what happened between you and my idiot of a son? The last time I asked about you, he wouldn't say, he had that look, you know the cute sulky one. And you know what? The last time he made that face was that time you two fought about that date you had with that guy from the cafe. Except he looked more exhausted this time.'
'Ah, we had a fight, and I haven't really seen him since.'
'A fight? You fight all the time right? What was so different that you're ignoring each other. It's clearly making the both of you sad.' 'It was about,' she took a sip of her wine, 'it was about Kaitou Kid.' Chikage shot her a confused look, from when they were in high school they had small fights about Kaito's alter ego, but most ended fine. Aoko glanced up and down a few time, opening her mouth to speak, but stopping each time. 'Oh that idiot,' Chikage sighed, it had finally clicked, her idiot son had divulged his deepest secret to someone he loved and it hadn't gone well. 'Well what did he tell you? Did he at least tell you why?' 'You knew?'
'Oh please give me some credit Aoko-chan, I'm his mother, he can't keep something like that from me. Well he did, I'm just smarter than he thinks.'
'I didn't figure it out though, all these years, every time I doubted him. Every time Hakuba or my father or even Akako said something about it, I shut them up. Every time. I made sure he was with me when the heists happened, I tried to keep myself away from the truth,' she took a deep breath in, she'd been avoiding talking to herself about this, or to anyone about this. 'When he told me, I was more upset at myself, you know? Upset that I basically tricked myself into this.'
Chikage slowly nodded in understanding, 'and Aoko-chan? It sounds like you're not angry at him?'
'No I am, just more at myself. But even an idiot like Kaito would have a reason to do something as dangerous as that. And that annoyed me, he didn't even want to tell me the reason. Put me in danger, yeah right, I wouldn't care about that if it was for him.'
Chikage chuckled lightly, 'so if he didn't tell you the reason, what did he even say?'
'He didn't say much really, but that's more my fault, after he refused to tell me the reason, I sort of didn't let him talk,' she took a long sip of her wine, nearly draining her glass. She looked back at the woman sat opposite her, 'I said so much I didn't mean, and he, that absolute idiot. He told me he loved me. Loved me enough to protect me from the truth.'
Chikage stared at her in disbelief for some time, her son had confessed he was in love with the girl. The one he had often said he could never express his feelings to yet. 'That was unexpected,' she watched as Aoko poured herself another glass and nodded to statement. 'And you haven't seen him since?'
She shrugged, 'well he's clearly alive, but he's steering clear away from me. I mean he left Ran and Shinichi's party early and he didn't even bother to make an appearance at my book release party. Even Hakuba-kun was there, Hakuba! He flew over from London for some business, but he came to congratulate me. Hell I never even got along with Akako-chan, but she was there.'
'At all? Not even for a few minutes?'
'None at all.'
Chikage sighed, she knew her son, he was definitely there at Aoko's party. No matter what she said would keep him from being there to see her proud and happy look as she announced her new book. Well he sure seemed excited for it's release whenever they'd talk, apparently the love interest was supposed to be as good looking as he was.
'But it's fine, I'm fine. I can't keep thinking about him,' she was definitely drinking too much wine, though not much could be done to stop her now. Heartbreak was best cured with alcohol, well not really, but since Aoko was clearly not going to tell the truth sober, Chikage decided she would see what a drunk Aoko would tell her.
And as expected drunk Aoko had so much to tell, she talked about all the things they did when they lived together. How he would buy flowers for her, just for fun or because they reminded him of her. Chikage couldn't help but smile, they really were in love, no matter how they denied it, just friends do not spend rainy days curled up together on the sofa.
Drunk Aoko also admitted to missing him, hoping he would turn up at parties or even to say congratulations. She had half wanted to go to his heist, hoping to catch a glimpse of him, of that smug smirk she'd secretly loved. Or maybe just leave flowers or a card that said something or the other, she missed him so much.
Chikage let her drift off to sleep, carefully moving her to a more comfortable position and placing a blanket over her. She then looked through Aoko's fridge to cook something she could heat up in the morning. She cleaned up a little before leaving, unlike the girl who was currently fast asleep, she'd only had about 2 glasses of wine, both of which were an hour ago. She tried to be as quiet as possible when leaving, but she doubted anyone could wake her up now.
She sighed to herself as she walked out of the building, she'd already called for a taxi which was already here, so as she headed back home she considered whether to call her son and tell the idiot to at least call. She eventually decided against it, she was seeing him tomorrow and she could always (very easily) make the conversation about Aoko.
Chapter 3: Kaito
Kaito was avoiding her.
He hated it.
It took actively trying to stay away from her for him to realise just how much he gravitated to her. She was just always there, a comforting presence, someone to come back to. He missed lying in her arms on a lazy Sunday morning, or snuggling together on the sofa as the rain poured down outside.
He missed her.
He had dreamed of the day he could finally tell her about everything, all the lies he had to tell, the secrets he kept. He hoped she'd reciprocate his feelings, that he could finally be with her, with no obstacles. But what happened that night was nothing like the fantasy he'd conjured up, it was everything he'd feared.
~ ♡ ~
Aoko was grumbling about Kaitou Kid yet again, how she hated his guts and his cockiness. It was a Friday night and neither of them had work so they were cuddled up on the sofa drinking hot chocolates and watching movies. However, earlier that day it was announced that Kaitou Kid had left another heist notice - his target his time a beautiful sapphire named the 'Daughter of the Sea'.
Kaito chuckled, she really never changed, he remembered the times she would complain about the phantom thief in high school, which would lead them to running around the classroom yelling petty insults at each other. But mostly he remembered how a small part of him died every time she claimed she hated the thief, he felt sort a sort of freedom as Kaitou Kid, minus the being chased by an organisation, he could show off his tricks to an audience who loved him. He could fly over rooftops and get a view no-one else could. Heists came with a thrill, a sense of danger and excitement, that everyday life just doesn't have.
However to him, she came first, if she hated his alter ego, he could take it. If she hated him, he couldn't.
It was a stupid idea, honestly, and to top it all off he came up with it.
After being able to brush off her suspicions for the past couple of years, he couldn't blow it now. So he suggested they go watch the heist, she already knew he had nothing to do that Sunday and sneaking out for the few hours that coincide with the heist was risky.
She gave him the usual 'are you crazy?' look, because honestly it was crazy, but not impossible. At Kid heists there is always a massive crowd, one could easily get separated from friends in it. If he could convince Aoko to come to the heist, that was the hard part over, he could 'lose' her in the crowd and carry out his plan.
It took a little while to convince her, after all she wasn't the type to support the thief, but she conceded (only because it seemed important to Kaito).
And that's how the both of them ended up in the crowd outside a museum, being pushed together, a bit too close for comfort. He almost didn't want to leave, she was clinging onto him adorably, but he'd already announced his heist. So when another wave of people pushed against them he used the chaos to disappear, he could faintly hear Aoko shout his name as he walked further into the crowd. It didn't take her long to call him, he picked up and stalled for time, convincing her he'll find her, all whilst making his way through the crowd and to the museum. This way he could put the heist in motion.
Apart from the extra running, it went well. Surprisingly Hakuba had been there, but over the years wildcards like detectives and the organisation had become easy to overcome. Especially since he had an understanding with Kudou, Hattori and the rest. So when he decided to go straight home, he thought everything would be okay.
Aoko, however, was the one wildcard he could never predict. It hadn't gotten easier over the years, and it was easy to forget she's smarter than she looks. She'd come close to catching him once or twice while he was distracted, and was it easy to get distracted by her. He was too tired to really think about it any further as he made his way back, he texted Aoko to say he wasn't feeling good and was heading back. It should've gone fine, he would go back to their apartment, stash his costume and greet Aoko when she got back.
But it didn't.
Because Aoko had already gone home, finding the whole situation and crowd unbearable.
So he climbed through the window to his bedroom, letting the window close with a soft thud. Aoko who had been in her own bedroom had heard and carefully peered through his door, 'Kaito? Is that you, I didn't hear the door open?' only to be met with the phantom thief, who was just as stunned as her. Unfortunately he'd taken off his hat and monocle, it was hard to deny who he really was.
'Kaito?'
He didn't know how long they stood there, stunned, too confused to talk. He knew he should've said something first, but nothing came to mind, he couldn't make up some flimsy excuse in the hope she'll believe him. He was well and truly screwed.
She moved first, turning around and simply walking away, needing some space.
'Aoko? What are you- Why are you already home? Wait I can explain!' He tried to shrug off the cape and blazer before running after her.
'Why am I home, is that really what you have to say?' She had made her way to the kitchen to pour herself a glass of water, finding it hard to believe what she was seeing.
'No- I- It's just I-'
'I what Kaito? You left me in that crowd, it was awful and here I was thinking you were looking for me,' she walked back up to him, 'did you even think of me once whilst you were out there?'
'Aoko I- Look it wasn't like that,' for once in his life, he truly didn't know what to do. When he thought about telling her, he thought it would be better than this, maybe even romantic. This was a reality check, things like that only happens on TV, he had really hurt her and that wasn't just going to go away.
'Wasn't like what Kaito? 'cuz it sure seems that way to me. How long have you even been doing this? Since we were in high school at the earliest right?'
Worst thing is she was correct, he couldn't lie to her now, not add to the pain.
'Why? Why Kaito? It doesn't look fun, you don't even keep the jewels!'
'Look Aoko, I need you to trust me, but I can't tell you that.'
'Trust you? Trust? I think we're past that now, how long have you been lying to me? Seven, no eight years? And all this time, I refused to believe anyone but you.' She was crying now, sobbing her heart out, but every time he stepped forward to put an arm around her or to offer some comfort she took a step back.
'Aoko, please, I just need you to-'
'Believe more of your lies. You know multiple people told me to be suspicious of you, Hakuba, Akako, Kudou, my father. And guess what Kaito? I chose to believe in you, my best friend.'
'Aoko,' he tried to get closer to her, as much as he hurt her and deserved this, watching her cry was killing him. Usually when she cried he could offer some comfort, but now there was a wall between them and he couldn't get past it.
'NO! You stay away from me!'
He stayed this time.
'I really did trust you, you know.'
'I know.'
'Just leave me alone.'
'Aoko, I-'
'Do you want me to say it out loud?'
'No really Aoko-'
'I hate you Kaito. I hate you. I don't ever want to see you again,' she had her back turned to him, but she was still shaking, he reached out to her. After a moment's thought he pulled his arm back, 'so, please, leave.'
'You know Aoko, the reason I don't want to tell you, it's because I don't want to lose someone dear to me. If you know the truth, you'll be targeted too.'
She still didn't turn back to face him.
'I love you enough to do that. Protect you, so you can hate me all you want. Just stay safe.'
She stayed facing away from him, she stayed that way until she heard the door lock, the words 'I love you too' stuck in her throat.
~ ♡ ~
He was doing what she wanted, staying away from her.
At least he was making sure she didn't notice him.
How could he miss her book release party, he felt proud that she was finally able to finish it. So he attended, even if it was very briefly, to see her smiling on stage with her book. To see her greet her friends even some of her idols. He felt happy for her, even if he wasn't supposed to be there. He left as soon as she caught his eyes, afraid she'd see through his disguise.
At the Kudou's anniversary party he had left early, that was true, in a setting with old friends and alcohol he couldn't guarantee he wouldn't say something he'd regret. He watched her for a bit afterwards, as she laughed with Ran and Kazuha, looking just like her normal self. He didn't catch the sad look she cast around the room, confirming his absence. He was staying away for her own safety, she didn't have to be involved.
He saw her on TV, on ads in stores, even on social media. She was honestly everywhere, he couldn't avoid buying her book, but after seeing the first few pages, he couldn't read on, because in her dedications she'd left a message. It made him feel guilty, for avoiding her, but he didn't want to hurt her more.
To my best friend, I couldn't have done this without you. Hope you enjoy the book. ~ A ♡
His heart hurt a little looking at the hand drawn heart at the end of the message, she really never changes.
He made up his mind he was going to give her flowers, and maybe leave a note. He settled for a bouquet of purple irises with ivory roses and a pink flower he couldn't remember the name of. The cashier had said something about it meaning congratulations, which was probably the better option. His usual roses would send the wrong message and he didn't want her to feel worse.
'Will that be all? Or would you like a note as well?'
'I'll take the note as well,' if he couldn't think of a message he just wouldn't include it.
'Okay, do you have a message in mind, we can print the message for you.'
'Um no, it's okay, I'll write something myself,' the cashier chuckled, most likely having gotten the wrong impression.
'Ooh a romantic note for Aoko-chan, or do you have someone else in mind?'
Kaito jumped at the voice next to him, until he realised just who would annoy him like this, 'Kaa-san?'
'Oh Kaito, you've gotten quite bold, are you finally dating?'
'No! Please stop embarrassing me.'
'Oh no that would be completely against my principles.'
'Okay then why are you here?'
'To buy a something for Aoko-chan, I'm guessing you're doing the same.'
'Thank you for visiting, will that be all?' The cashier smiled at the mother and son duo currently arguing.
'No, please add this to the bill,' Chikage placed a potted on the till.
'Pay for your own flowers.'
'Don't be stingy Kaito, I know you're not busy, Aoko-chan told me all about your little fight.'
'She did?'
'Well the expensive bottle of wine I bought for the both of you did,' she chuckled as the cashier rung up her purchase.
'You made her drink? You know she's a complete lightweight.'
'Uhuh, I didn't force her, but she did tell me some interesting things last night,' she thanked the cashier before turning to leave.
'Wait,' he quickly paid for everything before grabbing everything and running after his mum. 'What do you mean everything?'
'You really didn't attend her party?' His flustered look proved her point, the idiot couldn't stay away from her.
'She doesn't want to see me.'
'You keep telling yourself that.'
'What?'
'Nothing.'
His mum then revealed the plant was for Jii-san and not Aoko because she'd already given her her presents. So she waved goodbye to him to walk in the direction of Jii's bar. Leaving Kaito to wonder why she couldn't pay for her own stuff and whether she was properly going to visit him, or if she was going to bother someone else.
So as he walked to the apartment he once shared with Aoko, he thought about what he could say on the note, 'I miss you too', 'Your book was good', 'Do you still hate me?'.
He shook his head, it just sounded sappy and ridiculous, she'd probably throw them away if she found out who they're from. Maybe it was best leaving out the note, but for some reason he couldn't, so he settled for a small 'K' in the corner, if she noticed, she noticed. If she didn't then she didn't.
As he walked up the stairs to the apartment he suddenly felt nervous, what if she was there, or happens to open the door as he placed the flowers down. No, she couldn't be home, he made sure, she's currently out with her editor, most likely discussing her book or next work. Filled with slightly more confidence he walked to the front door, he carefully placed the bouquet down, making sure not the damage the flowers or crumple the note.
~ ♡ ~
Later that night he received a call from Jii-san, who had news on a new jewel. It was being displayed in a museum in an exclusive event, only for one weekend. And such is the duty of Kaitou Kid, he had to hold a heist.
~ ♡ ~
'A heist, huh?'
'Maybe I should go.'
Chapter 4: A Happy Ending
'So you are here, Kuroba-kun.'
He looked up from the work station, he'd been engrossed in tinkering with a new gadget he'd been designing and hadn't heard her enter.
'Ran-san?'
'Shinichi got held up solving a case, but he said I could find you here,' she made her way to one of the stools in the room.
'Uh, yes but what are you doing here?'
'To talk,' she smiled as she dusted off the stool and sat down, 'obviously.'
'I'm not sure I'm the first person you go to for gossip, so I'm going to assume everyone else is busy.'
'Uh well not really, I know for a fact that Aoko-chan is not busy at all,' she watched him slightly flinch at the mention of her name - he may be a professional at hiding his emotions, but she had found that people like him always had a weakness.
'Well she seems like a better candidate to spend the evening with,' Kaito had continued to face away from her fiddle aimlessly with the gadget.
'Do you believe her?'
He was slightly taken aback by the question, 'believe what?' When he turned to face her, she looked quite serious, a contrast to her usual cheeriness. He could sense a little bit sadness behind her voice.
'That she doesn't want to see you again?'
'She made it quite clea-'
'And you believed that?'
'I've hurt her enough, she asked me so I-'
'Listened?'
'Precisely.'
'Kuroba-kun, I'm sure you know all about the year Shinichi went missing,' he nodded, although he'd found out later the detective had somehow become a child and was forced to be undercover for a year. 'And do you know what happened when he came back?'
He shook his head, he had played somewhat of a role in the take down of the black organisation, as Kudo had so rightly named it, he knew what happened leading up to it, he knew what happened during it. However, he realised, he wasn't sure what happened after, Kudo had made a reappearance back into society and everyone just accepted it.
'I didn't want to see him again, ever,' she smiled, this time her sadness made for a heartbreaking picture.
'But you, you loved him right?'
'I do Kuroba-kun, I love him so much, but that year was so hard - seeing someone you're so close to disappear and then every time he's back he's distant and disappears as quickly as he appeared. It takes a toll on your heart,' she chuckled quietly, 'I thought I'd be ecstatic to see him again, to hear he was going to stay, but when he explained the truth I didn't know what to feel.'
'But you, you're still with him, you forgave him?'
'Of course I did, at first it felt like the last year had been some sort of lie - it took some time, but I came to accept it, after all I'd waited all this time. Plus he told me the truth, he could just as easily have kept it from me, pretended that Conan had finally moved back with his parents. He told me the truth, that in a way showed how much he loved me too and it made me trust him more afterwards.'
'I'm glad that it worked out for you two,' he smiled, he meant it, they were truly made for each other, but something in his heart told him it would never work for him and Aoko.
'So why didn't you tell her the truth?'
'Huh?'
'You have your own reasons right? For being Kid?'
Kaito wasn't sure what kind of face he pulled at her accusation, 'I- I don't know what you're talking about.'
'Don't play dumb with me Kuroba-kun, my question is why didn't you tell her the truth, you're real reason.'
'I don't want her to get hurt.'
'So you'd rather lose her in another way?'
'Ran-san, I-'
'Just give it another think, and try once more. And this time maybe be more honest,' he opened his mouth to say something, 'to yourself.'
~ ♡ ~
'Aoko-chan!'
'Ran-chan!'
She pulled the other girl into a tight hug, 'Oh, it's so nice to see you again, how are you?'
'Oh you know - the same. Things haven't been the same without Kaito.'
'It's never easy,' as she made her way to one of the sofas in the room she glanced around the room, 'those are very pretty, where did you get them,' she motioned to the flowers in the vase.
'They were a gift,' she picked up the little card next to the vase, 'guess who they're from?' She flipped it over revealing the 'K' in the corner.
'He talked to you?'
'No I found them at the front door, but the handwriting is unmistakable,' she placed it down and sat down next to Ran.
'Are you going to talk to him?'
'Maybe.'
'But Aoko-chan-'
'Ran-chan I promise, I will.'
'Okay, okay, let's change the subject,' she smiled, not really believing her, 'do you know who I bumped into the other day?'
~ ♡ ~
It had come to the night of his heist. This time the trick was simple, one he could do in his sleep, a timeless classic. His target this time was a gorgeous diamond know simply as 'The Queen', a famous art collector had struck a deal with the museum's owner to display the jewel along with others from his collection. There was only one large jewel on display making his job a lot easier.
He smiled he had already managed to sneak in as a police officer, it was genuinely disappointing that police never managers to pick up on it. He reported to the inspector, before heading towards the door, he had conveniently been positioned near the display cabinet. However before he could reach his post, he was in for one hell of a surprise.
Aoko had finally managed to push through the crowds downstairs to where her father was. Inspector Nakamori had been surprised to hear his daughter’s request to be a part of the heist, but it had been a while since she’d shown an interest so he was happy to oblige. She was wearing a stunning gown, the event wasn’t a regular one, but rather a black tie event only those with an invitation could get in, she had been invited as an up and coming author, she had nearly declined, but other than that she wanted to be a part of the squad. She had managed to find a dress of her mother’s, a beautiful a-line formal dress. The colour was a deep blue with a sparkle to it, in the light she seemed like a star. The neckline was slightly revealing, as the sleeves were off the shoulder the tops of her breasts were showing, even Kaito couldn’t deny that she had grown into a gorgeous woman.
'You look just like your mother, I'm proud of you.' She hugged her dad, he was a man of few words when it came to her mother.
When Kaito finally noticed her she was laughing with another man, tucking her hair behind her ear, the curls carefully done in a bun. He didn’t like the expression the man had on his face, not when he kept making obvious glances down her body. For a second he considered it, Aoko or his cover.
He nodded Aoko it is.
He appeared next to them and clearing his throat he said, ‘sorry to interrupt, but the inspector would like to talk to the young woman,’ he put an arm around her, ‘so if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be escorting her there.’
The man made a noise of protest as Kaito half-dragged her out of the room.
Once the had gotten out of the crowded room and were standing near the staff stairs she pulled her arm away from him, ‘what do you think you’re doing, Kaito! You can’t just drag me out the room like that!’
‘I heard no complaints on the way here,’ he was facing and was finally able to take a good look at her.
‘He was creeping me out, so I left with you,’ she turned away from his gaze that was now scrutinising her appearance. She suddenly felt self conscious, especially when the neckline was so revealing.
He shook his head like he’d been in a trance, ‘why are you even here?’
‘I was invited genius, number one best seller, ring a bell?’
‘Well you need to leave, it’s going to get dangerous soon.’
‘Luckily for me I know how to take care of myself. So if the phantom thief doesn’t mind, I’ll be enjoying the party,’ she curtsied sarcastically before pushing past him to leave.
‘Why haven’t you told your dad?’
She stopped and answered without turning to face him, ‘I believe what I do has nothing to do with you.’
~ ♡ ~
The clock struck midnight and the lights went out, the inspector was shouting orders to turn the back up generator on, to shine a light on the display cabinet. There were flashes of Kid’s white cape, but before they could do anything the jewel was gone, no largely elaborate scheme, just a good steal. He made his way up to the roof, he had a glider prepared to fly away, but he, unfortunately, met with two problems.
One of them being the loud shouts behind him, voices he recognises, the organisation out to get him. He kept running, on the roof he had an advantage, but life had other plans because there was none other than Aoko Nakamori waiting for him.
He groaned, ‘Aoko you need to go, you really need to leave.’
‘Kaito? What’s happening?’ She seemed genuinely confused, having only come up for some air.
‘No time to explain, is there another way, apart from that door to get off the roof?’
‘I don’t think so.’
He swore under his breath, this was bad, so bad. They were coming and Aoko’s here.
‘Hey Kaito, will you tell me what’s really going on?’
‘I-‘
Just as he began to speak the door burst open and out stepped Snake.
‘Kaito kid! What a pleasant surprise!’ He noticed Aoko shuffle closer to Kaito, ‘Oh and you bought company how wonderful, you’re girlfriend? I thought you were married to the cape.’
Kaito put his arm out in front of her, ‘Snake, she has nothing to do with this so let her go.’
‘Nah I’m feeling extra annoyed today, men grab her.’
They moved closer in an attempt to grab her, but Kaito was quicker, using his card gun he was able to knock a few out. Aoko wasn’t doing so badly herself, she’d successfully knocked out two guys using a piece of pipe.
In a false sense of security she let her guard down and with all the snails she didn’t notice them man behind her until he grabbed her, ‘Kid!’
He nearly shouted her name back, but stopped himself, they shouldn’t sound so close. As the smoke cleared his surroundings were slowly revealed. Near the edge of the roof stood the man holding Aoko, Snake himself hadn’t moved and there were men lying on the floor.
‘I said she had nothing to do with this, so let her go,’ breathe he told himself, maintain that poker face.
‘Not until you hand over the jewel.'
‘I don’t have it, it’s actually already being delivered back to the inspector right now,’ he confirmed it’s authenticity before making his escape. ‘Since I don’t have it, it’s quite obvious it’s not the jewel you’re looking for.’
Snake snarled at him, ‘how convenient, drop the girl.’
‘What no-‘
‘Have fun,’ Snake smiled before he turned to leave.
Kaito wasted no time jumping after her, his heart was pounding like crazy, this was Aoko falling. He kept trying to reach her, stretching his arms to try and wrap around her. They were falling so fast, the ground was so close. She was reaching for him too, he could see tears in the corners of her eyes.
So he pushed harder to reach her.
With some miracle he was able to grab her and open his glider. However they managed to hit a tree and come crashing down. He let go of the glider so they wouldn’t get as hurt, but when they finally stopped moving he unwrapped his arms that were around Aoko.
’Aoko! Wake up!’
She mumbled before opening her eyes, ‘Kaito?’
‘Are you okay, are you hurt, show me your arm, he didn’t hurt you right?’
She smiled as she watched him fawn over her, making sure she was okay, ‘how about you Kaito, are you okay?’
’Hm, yeah I’m fine.’
’Liar, take off that stupid blazer,’ she tugged it off.
’Its not stupid.’
As she carefully inspected his shirt for tears or signs of blood, she began to speak, ‘why would you jump after me you idiot? You could’ve died.’
’And let you die, I was scared I was going to lose you for a second,' he gave her a small smile as she looked up at him, 'I didn't know how I was going to live in a world without you.'
She looked taken aback, 'Kaito, I'm sorry.'
'Why are you apologising, it should be me that should say sorry.'
'I don't hate you, its not the fact that your Kid that upset me the most, I-'
He cut her off with a small kiss, smiling at her cute shocked face, 'let's talk about this later.'
She burst out laughing, 'I'm sorry, we really should, the police are still looking for you and we're just sitting here.'
'Come on, let's go before your father catches us and accuses me of stealing his daughter.'
'Our place?'
'Our place.'
He put out his hand for her, to help her get up, 'and I never told you how beautiful you look, I'm sorry your dress is ruined.'
'It's fine, I don't really have a reason to wear it out again.'
'And where were you hiding these curves, I for one have never seen them before,' he pulled her closer, holding her waist.
'Well you can't really claim I look like a boy anymore.'
'Aoko you've always looked stunning,' his eyes didn't have a mischievous sparkle as he talked.
'But you-'
'I get nervous around you.'
'The famous Kaitou Kid, nervous around a girl,' she chuckled.
'It's not that funny,' he pouted at the statement.
While he was turned away, she tiptoed to give him a small kiss on the corner of his mouth, 'come on Bakaito, lets go home.'
~ ♡ ~
Fin
Amuro’s unsuccessful attempt at playing a trick on Conan.
I made this a while ago. I can’t believe I forgot to post this here too!!
don't look at me with those eyes..
Every Share, Every Kind Word Matters 🙏
The weight of grief and survival is crushing. There is no break, no moment of peace. Every day, we are forced to keep moving forward, even when we don’t know where forward leads.
Today, we’ve reached $2,200, and that means everything. It means we have people who still believe in us, who still care.
💔 The struggle is not over. 💔 The losses are too deep to count. 💔 But your kindness helps us breathe.
If you can help, please do. If not, sharing this post helps more than I can explain. You never know who might see it, who might be moved to help.
Thank you for holding onto hope with us.
Vetted by @gazavetters #309
how did conan learn extreme snowboarding in hawaii
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