006 [Just FYI]

[tickingheart]

[You may or may not remember this post, but Robo did. And now, this morning, when Kaito went to go pick up his newspapers, he got some strange looks. Looks along the lines of "Kaito? Why are you back here already?"

Also, there's a reason no one has seen the robot since the brainwashing. It may or may not have something to do with the missing

Comments

[lafillebleue]

[There is an Aoko lingering outside the premises -- across the street and beside a tree. There's a shopping bag in her hand. She watches the house for several moments with a mingling of hesitation and trepidation.]

[tickingheart]

[Oh look, there is a "Kaito" stepping outside of the garage for a moment. He stretches, yawns, runs a hand through his messier-than-usual hair.

He... really looks exactly like Kaito. Younger somehow, his expressions slightly less guarded, but still very much Kuroba Kaito.]

[lafillebleue]

[Still. Considering the very fact that he does look unguarded, considering the fact that she believes she left Kaito back at the house, Aoko doesn't mistake him.]

[She debates calling out, saying something, just walking away . . . In the end she can't do any of these things, and even though her mouth parts, words fall flat on her tongue.]

[If he doesn't notice her . . . well, considering all that's happened and all that Kaito has said, it's just as well. She shouldn't be here.]

[tickingheart]

[She could most likely tell when he notices her, because he does notice her, his poker face sliding into place. Forced smile.]

Aoko! I haven't seen you in a while.

[lafillebleue]

Mm. [She does her best to smile, but she's not like him, really, able to summon a smile at a moment's notice. She wonders if his can be real, or if it's as faulty as her own.]

Hi.

[But that was a poor place to start if she just left it at that.]

How are you?

[tickingheart]

[She hates me. I'm sorry Aoko. Please... The smile fades a bit, but he recovers, brightly]

I'm fine. I managed not to get sick, and I was so busy I didn't even notice the language issue!

How about you?

*is so slow -- sorry* >.<

[lafillebleue]

[Could he even get sick? She wonders at that, but senses he wouldn't appreciate the question. She does her best to smile brightly in return.]

That's good! Ah -- I got the vaccine, so I didn't get sick, though I made a lot of chicken soup for-- everyone.

[But here's potentially something to talk about:]

You're working on something?

Totally alright!

[tickingheart]

You should have told me. I would have come over and helped you with handing out the soup!

[and Aoko should hopefully pick up on the fact that he's ignoring that last question]

But embarrassing. ._.;

[lafillebleue]

[She does pick up on it. And she won't be letting him off the hook. As Kaito, he should know this well enough.]

I . . . don't think that would have been a very good idea. [She smiles a bit -- because still, he offered. That seems like a sign of something, doesn't it?] But thank you.

You didn't say what you were working on.

Aw. Don't be.

[tickingheart]

[He's still grinning, the expression hasn't left his face, just gotten brighter]

That's a sec~ret!

[He's not going to tell her. Not now, not ever. Once it's done, he won't need to ever tell her.]

Thanks for being patient, anyway.

[lafillebleue]

[She eyes him -- because since he is like Kaito, it's probably some kind of mischief. But for the moment, amazingly enough, she leaves that alone. The next question is born of sheer hesitation. She doesn't want to ask it . . . but at the same time, she needs to.]

That time . . . with both of you . . . I'm sorry.

[All right, so it's a statement more than a question, but the question is there if he's paying attention: Do you hate me for this?]

[tickingheart]

[For an instant, an expression flickers across his face, unguarded and raw. Not long enough, however to determine what it actually was before a vaguely sad Poker Face slides back into place.

He glances away, intent on the deck of cards that suddenly appeared between his palms. He hears the unstated question, and understands it, it matches his own.]

I forgive you Aoko.

There's nothing you could ever do that I wouldn't forgive you for.

[Blue eyes flick up towards her face, then back to the cards, holding the same question Aoko's statement had.]

[lafillebleue]

[She lets go of air she wasn't even aware she was holding in. The pressure was still there, pressing in her belly, but it's slightly less, as though his words released a small bit of air from an internal balloon.]

I don't want that . . . I don't want to see that happen again. It can't happen, okay? Kaito . . . he's important to me. I don't want to see him hurt. And you . . . I don't want to see you hurt either. I can't take that, seeing that, from either of you.

I don't hate you. But please . . . don't fight him.

[tickingheart]

[His eyes flick back up to meet hers, and there is anger there, in the flash of his eyes, in the tightness of his jawline.]

I am Kaito.

He... he shouldn't be here. He's not... he can't be Kaito.

He needs to stay away from me.

[lafillebleue]

[The anger slices into her. She feels it, like he'd reached in and twisted something in her chest. She can't help remembering his face at that time, fizzing, blank . . . All too well she remembers in that moment what he's done and what he's capable of doing.]

[It's all she can do to hold onto his eyes.]

I don't hate you.

[A breath.]

But if you do it . . . if you hurt him . . .

I can't forgive you.

Just. Stay away from each other.

Please. And I'll come see you.

[tickingheart]

[anger flickers to hurt for a fraction of a second, before Poker Face is back.]

Sure. I'll try.

See you later then, Aoko?

[he turns away from her, forced calm in the lines of his shoulders.]