(Untitled)

[aceupthesleeve]

Who: Kaito and Aoko
When: Soon after Kaito's post about the virus
Where: The cafe
What: Aoko has a few questions. This does not bode well for Kaito
Rating: G to PG?

Comments

*lurking invisibly* >>

[police_daughter]

Aoko was still turning over that very conversation in her head as she hurried across the campus to Nausicaa. The extended conversation with Kaitou Kid had left her unsettled, to say the least, and the stolen monocle sitting in her pocket (she didn't dare leave it alone in her room; she knew the thief wouldn't hesitate to sneak in and steal it back) felt far heavier than she knew it really was

... let's make this longer

[aceupthesleeve]

He lifted his head and smiled back, widely and cheerfully. "Hey!" he greeted, his voice happy and content, as if nothing was wrong. He knew better. She probably knew better, but after years of learning how to mask his emotions behind an uncaring grin, he had become an expert at it.

He did pick up on her nervousness, however. Aoko tried her best to hide her own emotions, much like he did, but she wasn't nearly as good at it as he was. In some ways, he was grateful for her transparency. At least then he could tell when something was bother her and try his best to make her feel better (if it was possible). He almost felt bad for the fact that he couldn't spare her the same privilege.

She isn't the one moonlighting as Kaitou Kid.... he reminded himself as he sat up in his chair.

He leaned forward and slid the glass of chocolate milk across the table. "Want some?" he offered casually, "I didn't order you anything because I didn't know what you wanted."

[police_daughter]

Aoko eyed Kaito's smile warily, then gave the chocolate milk the same look before reaching out and taking it for a sip. "Thank you."

Then she was quiet for a moment as she tried to think of how to go about this. She hadn't really thought anything out before she'd gone rushing off to the café, and she had no idea how to ask Kaito what she wanted to. She'd admitted as much to Kid, and it was the whole reason she'd put this off so long in the first place. What if she was just imagining things? What if she wasn't, but Kaito told her it was none of her business?

...What if he was really hurting and she wasn't doing anything about it?

Slowly putting the milk down on the table, Aoko stared into its chocolate depths for a moment before lifting her eyes to her friend and simply asking, "Is everything okay, Kaito?"

[aceupthesleeve]

It was the question he had expected her to ask. As such, he had a prepared answer. It wasn't easy, dodging the truth so much. He hated it much more than he let on, but right now... he couldn't tell her what was wrong. He just couldn't.

If he told her, she would be a target. They would try to hurt her, to get to him. He'd never forgive himself if she was killed. He'd never ever be able to live with himself if he had been the cause of any harm that might befall her. It was his fault he was in this situation, and he absolutely refused to let anyone else in on the danger.

He could handle this. He could handle it alone.

And because he could handle it, everything was okay.

"Yeah," he responded cautiously, a bit suspiciously, as if her question had suddenly taken him off guard, "Why?"

[police_daughter]

"Because you've been acting differently for a while now and I'm worried," she replied, the words leaping out of her mouth before she could even think. Dammit, she'd wanted to ask him if he really meant it. ...Except he had to have meant it, didn't he? Neither of them had a choice at the moment.

So if everything was okay, why did she still have an unsettled feeling? Why did she feel like he'd been avoiding her back home? Was she not imagining it, and he was just... okay with growing apart?

The very thought made her heart sink.

Aoko frowned and twisted the milk glass back and forth between her hands, staring at the liquid once again. "You aren't hiding anything from me, are you...?"

[aceupthesleeve]

If only Aoko knew exactly how good Kaito was at dodging the truth, even when he had to tell it. He watched her play with his glass of chocolate milk and shrugged.

"Of course I am," he said, the truth falling off his tongue without restraint. There was no way he could lie about that one. There was no way he could tell a half-truth, either. But there was a way he could divert her from thinking he was hiding something bad from her.

He lifted his hand and snapped his fingers, another red rose appearing in front of her face in a poof of smoke. He grinned and handed it to her. "I was hiding this for you."

It was a truth, even if it wasn't the one she wanted.

[police_daughter]

Unfortunately for Kaito, his friend had known him long enough to know when he was dodging the subject, if not the truth. She reached out and took the rose, but her frown only deepened.

"Baka, you know what I mean!" she insisted.

[aceupthesleeve]

His grin didn't fade and he shrugged. "Why are you asking me this all of a sudden?" he inquired cautiously, purposely avoiding her question for now. Maybe if he got her off subject enough, she'd forget she even asked.

With ever question he dodged, however, the guilt merely grew.

[police_daughter]

His answer came quickly and without hesitation.

"Because I'm worried," Aoko explained, simply.

[aceupthesleeve]

Kaito, on the other hand, visibly hesitated, though he was still grinning.

"There's nothing for you to worry about." Again, another truth. For all that it was worth. He had the entire situation under control, after all.

And if he had it under control, then Aoko didn't have to worry.