justonetruth | (no subject)

"But he's so immature!"

"And running away from a bath isn't?"

Conan wriggled out of Ran's grip, but before she could grab him again, he's darted ahead, shoving his hands in his pockets and walking deliberately in front of them. "Oh, fine. I'll have the stupid bath."

"It's just a bath," Aoko pointed out as she linked her hands behind her and followed him, "Not the end of the world."

"You'll see," Conan said, shooting Aoko a look so dark, Ran felt compelled to take his hand again.

Aoko just gave him a flat one in return. "Definitely like Kaito."

"I haven't met Kaito yet," Ran said cheerfully brisk. "Is he a friend of yours, Aoko-san?"

"He's my best friend," Aoko answered with a nod, "I've known him since I was a little girl. I don't think he's here, though." A pause. "At least, not the one from my world."

"So there are other Kaitos here too? How many have you met?"

"Just one," Aoko admitted, though he was less a Kaito and more... Kid. But she supposed he counted.

"The only Shinichi I've met here was an adult -- grown-up. And didn't know my name. It was -- disconcerting." And had sparked a very childish quarrel with her Shinichi. Augh. Ran made a face. "I'm rather glad I haven't met any others."

"A Kudo-kun who didn't know your name?" Aoko asked curiously. Where she came from, Kudo and Mouri almost went hand in hand. "That's strange."

"Tell me about it," Ran and Conan said in glum unison, flushing a bright pink and glancing hastily at each other -- would Aoko notice the slip? "Anyway," Ran added hastily, "You can imagine how I wouldn't want a repeat of that. What was Kaito like?"

Aoko did notice the slip, and she blinked at them both, her gaze flickering between them before she sighed and decided to let it go. "Kaito's just one, big, overgrown kid," she said, "I think he prides himself on being immature."

"Definitely," Conan agreed. "You spend any time around him, Ran, you'll have to agree."

"Nothing wrong with acting like a kid occasionally," Ran returned. "Maybe I should look him up. You could do with more company."

Aoko giggled at that as she imagined the grumpy faces Kaito would be making were he privy to this conversation. "You could throw paper airplanes with him," she said, "He's sometimes better than I am at making them."

"Really?" Conan brightened momentarily, then collected himself. "I've grown out of paper-planes," he announced. "Those are for kids."

Ran winced.

Aoko lifted an eyebrow at Conan. "Weren't we just playing with them a few days ago?"

"Like I said," Conan repeated. "I've grown out of them."

"In just a few days?" Aoko asked skeptically, gaze flickering back to Ran.

"Here's the bathroom!" Ran said with a brightness she did not feel. "Conan, you tell me how the water is."

"I already know how the water is. It'll be too cold."

"And if knowing it would take me a long time to find you I ran it too hot on purpose?"

"... I'll check it."

As Conan disappeared into the bathroom, Ran's smile faltered. "Sorry about that. It's not you, it's something one of the other Conan's said to him."

Aoko watched Conan disappear with a frown of her own. "What did he say?"

"Conan won't tell me, but I think it must have been something along the lines of telling him he was acting like a kid because ever since he's been like that." Ran sighed. "He gets very touchy when you comment on it."

Aoko briefly thought back to her encounter with the other Conan. The one who had acted much, much older. Perhaps there was something different about this one.

Nevertheless, she played her part. "But he's only eight."

"Seven," Ran said unhappily. "And kids at that age can get odd ideas. You never know how sensitive they are -- ah, Conan! How's the bath?"

"Too cold," Conan reported, adding grudgingly "But not by much."

Aoko nodded in agreement, though it had been a while since she had been around kids.

She leaned forward to address Conan when he returned. "You just have to wait for it to warm up, right?"

Ran ruffled his hair. "It won't take me five minutes to get it topped up. You can take Aoko and find some clean clothes."

Conan grouchily smoothed his hair down again. "I don't need help finding clothes!"

"I know that," Ran returned. "But it's going to be boring for Aoko just waiting if we're both gone."

Conan took Aoko's hand. "My room's next door," he explained.