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File 8. Delightful Encounters

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Sunday in Shibuya, Kudo Shinichi was shopping. It was his and Ran's year anniversary and he hadn't gotten anything yet. Why couldn't he be literate like his father and get off with a poem?

He looked around the jewelry counter, waving away the salesperson until he found something not super serious. After all, he and Ran had all the time in the world didn't they?

He felt a bump at his elbow.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" exclaimed a high-pitched voice beside him.

He turned to say it was all right and stopped, gaping.

She too was gaping.

"A-Aoko?" he croaked.

"Oh my-"

She was turning red. He could see it clearly in the brightly lit store. He could have run, he could have said hi and embarrassed the girl by telling her why he was looking at women's jewelry.

Instead he grabbed her wrist before she could run. He could see the intent clearly in those bright light blue eyes of hers.

"Come with me," he said simply and she let him take her away.

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They were sitting outside a cafe. The noon sun was hitting on her head, the umbrella useless. She sipped on her iced tea, unsure what to say.

"How have you been?" he asked smoothly.

Startled, her cup tilted dangerously on the table, but she steadied it in time, "Oh, I've been fine. Just the usual."

"What entails the usual? Parties?"

Aoko had made the mistake of taking a sip them and nearly choked on it.

She caught his smile. It was not condescending or one making fun of her. It was as innocent as a blade of grass.

Of course blades of grass usually turned your clothes green... and in her case it made her cheeks burn in memory.

"No," she finally got out, taking on the attitude she usually used when Kaito was making fun of her. It would be safer this way.

"Oh good. Because that being hung-over thing is awful. You should avoid it as much as you can."

"Well at least the sex is good."

She immediately began hammering herself inside her head. What the heck was wrong with her? Hadn't she learned how to speak? She decided to blame it on her father, never teaching her any manners...

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Shinichi nearly dropped his cup as the words entered his ears and were processed. He ended up dropping his cup.

The good thing was that it was only an inch above the table and so it didn't tip over because his hand was there.

"Ah- Er- Just forget I said that."

"Don't worry about it," Shinichi said, hoping his flushing cheeks weren't visible, "After all it's been three months since that."

"Right right. It's not like in this day in age two – adults – who've... done it... can't sit over drinks and talk like normal people without all that getting in the way."

"Of course! So how's things been going with that guy you mentioned?"

"Well he seems like he finally got a clue, but nothing's happened."
The tone of disappointment did not escape his ears.

"Well details! How am I supposed to figure out how to help you? I'm the Detective of the East after all."

Shinichi regretted the air he had when he said that. He was being high and mighty but sincere. Flaunting his title, so sure he could help her, why?

She scooted her chair closer to his. "Umm... his name is Kaito. He's always flipping my skirt, feeling me up, and then he runs when I chase him."

"Wait? What? He feels you up? You chase him? Literally?"

"Y-yes..."

"He likes – no – loves you. For sure."

"Then why hasn't he said anything? You're obviously gifted in investigating the workings of the human mind."

"Well... I need to know more about him. What does he do?"

"He's a magician. His father was Toichi-"

"Toichi Kuroba! No way! When I was a kid, he was the only one who fooled me. Ever!"

Aoko was flabbergasted at Shinichi's sudden enthusiasm and at his sudden proximity.

"Tell me more," he commanded.

"Umm... so he's a magician. He's a huge Kid fan. He always argues with Hakuba in our class. Hakuba is always joking, calling him Kid, talking about capturing Kid. Kaito just laughs him off, saying detectives like him never get close to originals like Kid..."

Shinichi's raised eyebrow made her stop.

"I think I know what it is."

His voice was low, deep, serious; bringing back memories. He just had to use the same voice for his deductions. Why was God taunting her with this perfect specimen, the perfect replacement for whatever Kaito would fill?

Her attention was clearly marked on her face. She was holding her breath, her cheeks were turning red, her eyes glazing with focus. She was beautiful. Who was this girl who made him forget the shy vixen he loved?

"He has a secret Aoko. Whatever it is, he wants to keep it from you. He'll joke, he'll grab your attention; he's made sure you know you attract him sexually.

"But for all that, whatever secret he has is worth keeping you at bay, easing the tension while building a wall. Leaving you isolated to detectives like me he underestimates..."

He was afraid he'd gone too far then. He'd suspected that the Kid was about his age but to have coming from this unknowing girl more evidence than he would have been able to gather on his own. He was only 2% sure but that singled him out from most of the population.

The table seemed suddenly so far away now. She was leaned over it, his face nearly touching hers.

"Aoko, I think..."

His lips suddenly felt hers and he was kissing her back, fiercely, trying to take all he could from her without taking the bottom most part of her. It hurt him. It was hurting her.

It was their last chance.

He pulled back when he felt her tears. His hands cupped her face.

"A-Aoko, what is it? What's wrong?"

"I think Kaito's gay!"

Shinichi kissed her, to make her stop talking, to make her stop thinking, to make it all go away. He pushed further as her fingers tangled within his hair.

She pulled away the second time, her chest heaving, her cheeks red again, glad they had picked the corner, and no one seemed to be paying attention to them.

"Shinichi, why, why are you comforting me? You have a girlfriend, you have everything, there's nothing to me. Why do you care?"

The words hit him like a brick. The guilt settled in his stomach quickly, erasing Aoko's heat from him.

"There's no logic to helping people. I just wish I knew better how to help you... instead of just kissing you."

His hands were on shoulders.

"Aoko, I'm 100% sure Kaito is not gay. Just try to talk with him."

She nodded, starting to turn away from him. She seemed so far away now too. He tried to salvage it.

"And Aoko, you're the one person I would ever consider breaking up with my girlfriend for. Ever. The one girl. But she doesn't deserve that."

The tears started fresh.

"Why did I have to meet you so late?"

Shinichi smiled that smile again, "Because I didn't get to you. Blame me."

He kissed her forehead, "Come on, finish your drink and I'll walk you home."

"Okay."

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It was late afternoon now.

Where was Aoko?

Finally, the bus was in sight, coming up the street. He'd already been disappointed twice but...

And then he saw her.

And him.

He held her straight by her elbow. Her legs didn't seem to be working right. Was something wrong with her? Had something happened?

Kaito stood up from his spot on her porch and began walking to the gate.

When he called out her voice, the way she suddenly looked up at the – guy – next to her, turning back and forth between the guy and himself, he got a clue.

She liked the guy. A lot.

Her body language said it all. Her feet, hips, shoulders where all turned toward him. As they got closer, he could see the guy laughing, read his lips telling her not to worry.

And he recognized him and knew this probably was a lot deeper. He really wished she kept a diary now...

"Uh, hi, Kaito," she said as she and Kudo were nearing her gate.

"Yo, who's your," he looked Kudo over, "friend?"

He feigned ignorance and decided acting like a jealous boyfriend might be the better route.

"Um, this is Kudo Shinichi."

She left it at that, not giving him a title, labeling him a friend or anything although her flushing cheeks gave a good indication of what he was.

"Well where have you been? I called your cell phone all morning."

"You did?" She pulled out her cell phone to see six missed calls from Kaito. "Oh, I had it on vibrate."

She was oddly at ease, not acting alarmed, not surprised to see SIX missed calls, nothing. What did this mean?

Kudo coughed, "Well I've done my work. Will you be okay?" he asked her while eyeing Kaito.

She didn't catch it. It got to Kaito, a lot.

"Yeah. Thank you – for walking me home."

"It was a pleasure."

He pulled her to him in a hug and kissed her forehead, unabashed by Kaito's presence.

"Good-bye."

"Bye," she said breathlessly.

And Kudo walked away, leaving Kaito and Aoko in silence. That was until Kaito got his words back.

"What the hell was that Aoko?"

"Huh?"

"That was Kudo Shinichi!"

"I know."

"Where did you meet him?"

"At a party."

"What?"

"Kaito are you gay?"

The question came out of nowhere and completely caught him by surprise.

"Wha- no – I don't think so. Why the hell are you asking?"

Aoko was at her porch steps now, higher than him and so calm it was unnerving.

"Well there has to be a reason you're here, acting this way, calling me six times a day as soon as we got these phones but not asking me out, not doing anything – nice."

It irked him, her calmness now. What had Kudo done to his fiery Aoko?

"So you figured I was gay? Damn Aoko, you don't know me at all."

But even that didn't pull her back to him.

"He said you had a secret, pushing me away for a reason. So either we date and you tell me, or we date and you don't tell me."

That caught him by complete surprise and he realized he had inched towards her and now closer to her. She had pulled him to her, and he hadn't realized it.

"Y-You want to date me?"

"Well yes seeing as I had you before Shinichi and Shinichi is unfortunately spoken for."

It sounded so wrong but he didn't care. He had only one thought.

"If I tell you my secret, will you tell me what happened between you and Kudo or are you going to leave me guessing?"

"I am so going to leave you guessing."

"You didn't have sex with the guy did you?"

Her face turning white said enough.

So with a joking air he said, "Well we're going to have to correct that," and he suddenly lifted her to carry her inside the house.

Aoko simply screamed in surprise, and maybe delight, her disappointment over Shinichi washing away.

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AN: I do not condone cheating in any form! But oh my god this was so fun to write. If they have another encounter, they'll both be cheaters and I'm not guaranteeing they won't (grin). Thanks for reading, please review!