#2019 me would be insane they were married let alone got a divorce

[renarots]

Tubbo and Tommy getting divorced in the month of June wasn’t in my bingo card

[sabrinamichele]

2019: The Year of Love, Love Lost, and Paris

     I know it’s time. Time to finally open up and talk about what’s been happening in my life. I know that I don’t have to share, but every time I try to move past it, I continue to feel drawn to share this. I know that in sharing this, like the countless times I have shared before, I will find myself better for having opened up. So, to be clear—this is not a completely selfless act—but it doesn’t make sharing it any easier. So, I’m ready to talk about dating, about love, and the heart break that 2019 brought me. I feel strongly that I need to preface this piece with the understanding that these words, thoughts and feelings, while they are mine, I know that by sharing them I may hurt someone. My intention is not to be mean or to hurt someone, but by being so candid, and by sharing my truth, I recognize that I very well might. I think there will always be that risk, and if you are on the receiving end of that, I am sorry. With that said, I want to be as honest and real as I can, because this isn’t the space for fakeness, or for pretense. This is where real truths, even when they’re hard, come out and vulnerability is found. So, in the spirit of sharing, *takes a breath* here goes...

     While I have dated for the past five years, I have, for the most part, remained pretty mum on the details. This hasn’t been done because I didn’t want to share, but, more or less, because I frankly didn’t know how to. My dating/love life has often, in hindsight, felt like learning how to drive a car: definitely with its starts and stops, plenty of awkwardness, some wrong turns made, and so much to learn. (Yes, this analogy truly describes how dating as an adult for the first time in your thirties after being married for eleven years truly feels like. *laughs*) Needless to say, I did not know how to navigate it very well, let alone to start opening up about topics like dating, sex, love, and heartbreak. So, after five years later, I think I’m finally ready to share. To be clear—I absolutely do not have it all figured out. I am not perfect, and I definitely have made my fair share of mistakes (yup, still human). But I also finally acknowledge that that doesn’t mean I don’t have something valuable to share. I don’t know, frankly, what the sharing is going to look like, but I am ready to start. As I have with every single thing I have written here up until now, I share with the hope and intention that in doing so it might help someone else. I truly believe it’s this shared humanity—the realness and vulnerability that exists in sharing what is real in our lives, and often times hidden away—that this is so incredibly attractive, because it is so rare, and it’s also where real connection takes place. So, with that intention, I promise to be real, honest, and vulnerable as hell.

“The mark of a wild heart is living out the paradox of love in our lives. It’s the ability to be tough and tender, excited and scared, brave and afraid—all in the same moment.”

— Brené Brown, Braving the Wilderness

     When I think about the past five years, and trying to navigate dating, this quote feels so incredibly true and relevant in my life. The ability to, despite everything that has happened in your life up to this moment, meet the next moment and person with fresh optimism and hope for what might be. The ever-optimistic question of, “What if?”  Trust me when I say I know all too well what it is to be equal parts excited and scared. That is where I was a little over one year ago: Trying to date...again. Despite the heartache and the disappointment, and all the frustrations that go along with online dating—I was willing to try again because, deep down, I genuinely wanted to find someone, even if all my previous attempts had failed not ended the way I had hoped. Can I just take a moment to commiserate with anyone that’s reading this (male or female) who has also felt the pain and frustration of online dating? Yes, it can suck—and yes, people can suck—so you’re not alone in having mixed feelings about it (yes, I’m making some assumptions here, but I feel safe in making them). Goodness knows that I have had enough iterations with the dating apps, both love/hate, and moments where I swear “Never again!!” With that said, I think we can all—okay, fine—most of us can agree that they are a tool, and in today’s society of disconnection, they are a very helpful tool for connecting people; so, if you can get past the crap and frustration, they can be a positive. (Notice the emphasis on can here; I didn’t say they always are! *laughs*) This is at least the reason (and justification) for their reappearance in my life last year.

     This is how I started dating again, and how I met him—the man who would become my boyfriend last year. (Trying hard to not use names here—ever.) By and large, he was the most significant event last year—significant in many ways, but I think context helps to clarify why he was a significant event in my life. To back up a bit—dating has been incredibly hard for me in the wake of my divorce—there have been many men I have “dated,” in a sense, but often times I have, in the early stages of dating been too afraid of the labels, and the commitment, to even consider calling it a relationship, let alone calling someone my “boyfriend.” Before him, I have only had two relationships I could truly classify as truly “dating,” and only one I think would agree that we were boyfriend/girlfriend—exclusive, at the very least. Trust me—so many labels, so many new hurdles to navigate—so dating him was significant in that we both jumped in rather quickly, and also fell pretty quickly for each other. It was the first person, post my ex-husband, to tell me that he loved me, and to also ask me to be his girlfriend. I’m aware that, to many, that may sound cheesy, even juvenile, but here’s the truth: despite all the hurt and frustrations I’ve had with the opposite sex—deep down, I am a romantic at heart. A romantic with an insanely big heart who wants to fall in love again. (Yeah, I just admitted that.)

     So, I fell hard. I fell in love with all the firsts: the way it felt when I was around him—it felt exactly how it had, falling when you are young—the way you get excited to hear someone’s voice over the phone for the first time, the first time they hold your hand, the first kiss, the way they look at you...we were like two kids, and it felt incredibly special. I share all of this because I think it’s important to reflect—to look back and smile knowing I got to have that again, to experience having love, and a boyfriend, again...I want to be intentional in saying that because, if you’re like me, when something like that ends, it is incredibly easy to demonize someone, to focus on only the hurts, and to forget all of the good parts. I hope that you don’t.

     Suffice it to say, we did not last. Much like a candle that burns hard and bright, then just as quickly burns out...that was how we seemed to be, unfortunately. The man I fell in love with...well, I don’t know what happened to him, honestly. All the emotion, the vulnerability, and amazing connection I felt in the beginning, just...disappeared. I felt it most acutely on our first trip away together. I had been trying to communicate with him about it, without much success—and then the night before our trip, when I tried to talk to him about it again, the message I got back was, basically, “I don’t know what to tell you. This is how it’s going to be,” In my head, what I heard was something to the effect of, “Tough shit.” I was dumbfounded. I was trying to connect with him on this lack of connection, to discover the “why,” and met with, well, nothing. It was incredibly hard hearing that as we were about to go away for our first trip together. Trying to have a romantic weekend with someone who is not emotionally connected with you, or even trying to be, well...it’s a good recipe for a disaster, which is what that weekend was. I tried to make the best of it, but I found myself reminded of how disengaged my ex was with me and it, frankly, scared the shit out of me. In hindsight I wish I had had more courage. Courage to have a real conversation on the real disconnect we were having that weekend. But it felt like every time I tried, it was like trying to talk to someone who spoke Greek, and there was no place for understanding or vulnerability there. I came back not really knowing how to proceed, but knowing we definitely still needed to talk about it. After I made multiple attempts to initiate talking about it with him, I was met with only short texts back, and several blow offs instead of actually talking to me in the week following our trip. I felt miserable, sick to my stomach, and only an escalating sense of desperation to have this awful feeling end. I felt like I had been taken to this incredible high in our relationship, to then be dropped off the edge of an emotional cliff. Without a partner willing to communicate, who literally just disappeared after an uncomfortable first weekend away, I just felt desperate to have my pain end. Less than a week from my birthday, desperate to do what I thought was best, I ended it—after which I promptly bawled my eyes out. (Yeah. I’m being painfully honest here.) In hindsight, I can see that we weren’t meant to be, but the truth is, it, and he, still meant a lot to me. I have had well-meaning girlfriends even try to convince me that I didn’t actually love him, “No, not really.” Well I am here to say that I did love him, and that I don’t regret it. Any of it. As hard as that breakup was for me, I will always be grateful for loving him. I will always be grateful to have him show me what it should really look like...even if it didn’t last. To have someone show you that you are worthy of pursuing, worthy of going on romantic dates with, worthy of romance, and, ultimately, worthy of love...I am honestly grateful for all of it.

     With all of that said, the end of “us” left me in a very dark place for a time. I felt betrayed and I felt rejected. Rejection’s sting is something I am far, far too familiar with these past five years, but it always hurts more when I’ve invested more. I am not necessarily proud of how I chose to handle my hurt and pain this time, but I embraced that I was in a “dark and twisty place,” as I called it, and I set my intentions with men accordingly. I didn’t want anything more than something of a casual nature, which suited my needs, and my heart, just fine during this time. I don’t look back and applaud this; it was simply the way I chose to handle the hurt I was feeling at the time, and I want to be honest about that.

     If you’re still reading, I applaud you. My dating/love life is not for the faint of heart or those only inclined to read short stories. Without further ado, this is when someone new came into my life. I feel the need to pause and say that I do feel badly—he met me smack dab in the beginning of my “dark and twisty” phase—right as I had intended to not be with anyone in a romantic way, is when he met me. I told him as much the night we met, but the message still got filtered a bit through the lens of someone who I think, deep down, was hopeful for more. He and I were not friends, per se, but we were also not dating—because I was not interested in dating anyone in the dark place I was currently in—but I also found the previously used label of “friends with benefits” didn’t quite seem to fit either, so we found a label we could both agree upon, which was “lovers.” And we honestly enjoyed as much time as we could with each other in this space. For me, it was exactly what I needed in that moment. We enjoyed each other’s company, and we enjoyed many of the same things; we found a safety with each other—both in the sharing of our past, but also simply just by being together. I recognize this title implicitly says more than I ever have shared before about a relationship, and I’m okay with that. I am thirty-six years old and incredibly tired of living in the fear of talking about or not talking about sex. I was married eleven years, so I think it’s safe to say I am aware of what sex is—and it’s something I still engage in to this day. *laughing* I know that by sharing this, there will be some of my family/friends who are probably disappointed, but frankly? I’m not interested in filtering my writing anymore for fear of what you, or others may think (or not think). Enough said.

     I am a firm believer that people come in and out of our lives for a reason. With that said, I genuinely believe I was meant to have this man in my life. Even if it was unconventional and didn’t look like other relationships—it was still meaningful, even it if wasn’t meant to be for forever. I was very up front and honest with him about where I was at, day one, but it doesn’t mean that feelings didn’t get involved. If I’ve learned anything in my years of dating—it’s that it’s incredibly easy and natural for emotions and feelings to get involved where sex is concerned. I think we both knew that this was always a possibility, and we were both very honest with each other about what that would mean. I knew he was potentially moving out of the area soon, so it felt safe. Safe to let my guard down; safe to just be me; safe also because it was just so easy to be around him. But, with all of that said, I never felt that way about him. Even when I found feelings creeping in, I pushed them down not wanting to go there—we weren't supposed to go there, right? But, before I knew it, we were facing a point of no return—I had agreed to go out of state to a wedding as his plus one—and subsequently had made plans to go to Paris the day after we were to get back. The trip was going great, but somehow, without really seeing it coming, I found myself hearing him tell me that he was falling in love with me, and that he needed more. My heart ached in that moment. My heart ached because I knew I couldn’t say the words he would have liked to hear me say next, and that I couldn’t give him more. I have never taken those words lightly, and I didn’t then either.  The next day we flew back, and I had to face one of the hardest goodbyes I have ever had. It was hard because not only was it over, but I was also losing a friend—he couldn’t stay friends with me—and we had truly become close over those few months—my heart ached knowing I was losing that, but also for all the unspoken words I felt between us in that moment, “I’m sorry I can’t give you more. I’m sorry you met me here, in this dark place I’m at right now. I’m sorry I am not where you are at, at least not today.” So, I said goodbye, and I flew to Paris two days later.

     So, Paris. I flew to Paris, kind of spontaneously, with a man I had dated earlier in the year, and who I really liked. If I’m being honest, he was someone I had hoped (deep down) to have something more with someday. In hindsight it all feels like it was wishful thinking, but, at the time, I couldn’t help but feel excited and hopeful. A handsome man who I was interested in had invited me to join him in Paris and, on a whim, I had decided to say yes. I mean, how do you say no to that? Our first date was one of the most romantic I’ve ever been on, honestly. I was about to go to Paris for the first time earlier in the year and he had invited me to a French themed charity dinner, and the night ended with slow dancing (yes—slow dancing) in his living room. I know, it all sounds a bit hard to believe, maybe even a little nonsensical, but I genuinely believe that a big part of love is truly that—nonsensical. So, seven months later, I went to Paris for a second time, but this time, with him. I went to Paris, and I tried hard to keep my expectations in check, but it was hard for me to not find myself hopeful...for a spark, for more... I do not want to dwell on the details, but I will say that my overwhelming feeling from this trip was one of disappointment. I know that it’s not fair to compare, but for me, there was no way I couldn’t not compare them, having both trips so close in proximity to one another. While one man was so incredibly attentive, emotionally connected, and engaged—the other was the exact opposite. Perhaps, not at first...but as the trip went on, I was incredibly aware of it. It makes me sad, in hindsight—I was in one of the most beautiful cities in the world, and I felt more alone than ever being there with him. I felt like he didn’t emotionally connect with me most of our time together, which was a little surprising, but also left me at a bit of a loss, as I’m incredibly empathic to the people I’m around. I often felt a bit like I was walking around on eggshells being with him, unsure how to “just be” around him. It was not romantic. It was not about me. And my heart turned in on itself with the juxtaposition it found between my travel companions. I had hoped, foolishly so, to fall in love in Paris, and instead I was with someone who I realized was still in love someone else. I don’t say all of this to be hurtful, but to simply be honest. It was a painful and incredibly emotional week for me.

     But, somehow, even after all of this, my emotional week wasn’t complete. There was more waiting for me. Sitting in the Paris airport, waiting to come home, I was sitting next to my travel companion, filling the time while we waited to board the plane by mindlessly scrolling through Instagram when my eyes caught on two words, a name. His name. A man I have written about here before—the first man I fell in love with after my ex-husband. My brain was still registering seeing these two words again as my brain finally assimilated what it was I was seeing. It was a picture of the man I had fallen in love with proposing. My heart dropped. I sat there in shock, absorbing these pictures, these words—then I quickly closed the app—my brain’s obvious attempt at self-preservation. I sat there for about ten minutes before finally starting to cry—my partner sitting next to me completely oblivious to my tears or my pain. I have been asked, since then, why I cried...and it still baffles me how anyone could ask me “why?” But I will try to convey to you the “why,” even if it’s completely irrelevant.

     I cried because the man I fell in love with was proposing to someone else. I cried because he was, in every single way, exactly what I wanted—at least in that moment of my life. And even though I can look back on us and see just how much he didn’t deserve the love I had for him, it is irrelevant to the simple fact that I did...love him. I loved him in a way that I have never known before...connected with him in a way I had never known before. I cried because this hurt me—seeing this, as it should. But it was also necessary. I knew this was the moment I had to let it all go. To finally, somehow, find a way to forgive him—to let go of all the pain that had been inside me for far too long. That is one thing I will always be very grateful for. To the man that I would call my boyfriend, and the man I would call my lover—I realized just how much pain I had been living with, not just from my breakup, but from the men I had loved, but who, ultimately, hadn’t been right for me. I finally recognized this in moments I had been with my friend, my lover, and he would be asking me simple questions, and I would be reduced to tears in a matter of moments. It was embarrassing, but he also never made me feel bad or ashamed for it. I also had a moment of clarity, a few months later, in a conversation with my last boyfriend, finally talking about our breakup and how much his actions had hurt me. He said to me, “Don’t let me be the cause of your pain.” Those words resonated with me because of just how true they were for me. While I had done such a good job of not letting my divorce not define my life, to keep me from moving on and dating again, I had allowed these men, each heartbreak, to carry on in my heart—each hurt still there, right beneath the surface. I realized then and there I owed it to myself to finally forgive them, and to move on.

     While I haven’t figured it all out exactly since then (read: I’m still figuring so much out in this crazy life, especially now), I am proud to say that I came back from Paris and I finally forgave the man who broke my heart more than most. In writing this, I recognize that there is still room for forgiveness, for letting go, which I completely acknowledge. I am not perfect, and I’m still figuring this life out as I go, but I’m also incredibly proud of just how far I have come.

     I have loved, deeply. I have had my heart broken, and, sadly, I have hurt some hearts along the way. I am here, sharing this, to hopefully normalize that dating may not look the way you expect it to—it may be messy and unconventional—and you may make some mistakes (or a lot), and you may have your heart broken...but here’s also a beautiful truth: you get to decide what happens next. You.

So, in this moment, I am creating something new and I am trying to have a wild heart in dating. I am both hopeful, excited and scared...but above all, ready. I know what I bring, and I also know what I want. Dating is hard, but it’s also so much harder if you’re not ready.

When I wrote these words, almost a year ago now, I was in such a different place. I was actually ready to try to start dating again. Unfortunately, this year has not been the year for trying to date, at all. It’s been incredibly hard trying to pick this piece back up, to try and talk about something that’s happened so long ago now, but I also feel like I needed to. To give these words voice, even if I find myself in a space where I’m not optimistic about love or dating, as I was earlier in the year, pre-global pandemic. With that said, I still want to write about love. I still want to talk about what dating has taught me, even as I find myself in a particularly weird year for it.

With that said, the best advice I can offer, for the years of dating I have experienced, is this:

•    Know who you are, but also be comfortable, just as you are. You don’t need anyone to complete you or to make you happy. Trying to have someone fill this role won’t make you happy, ultimately.

•    Know that it’s okay to want someone—but not to “need” them to feel okay. You have to be okay, just you. You also have to love you, first, before anyone else can love you. Any attempts to shortcut this will leave you disappointed.

•    Try really hard to not grasp for someone or something, or to chase someone who has left of their own accord. I’ve had to learn this the hard way, and sometimes I’ve needed to be reminded, but it is a powerful truth. If they want to talk to you, they will. If they want to see you, they will ask. Try to not read between lines that aren’t there. Sometimes it really is that simple. You deserve someone that pursues you. Pure and simple.

•    Be honest and be kind. I think I’ve said this very yearly on in my writing, but it begs repeating. It does no one a service to tell them what you think they want to hear, let alone yourself. Always be honest (even when it is hard). And try to do so with kindness. Enough said.

•    Grace. If I had to leave you with one word, it would be this one. Have grace, and not just for others, but also for yourself. I know, for me, I need to have equal parts grace, both for others and for myself. It is so easy to allow my expectations of myself and others to put people on a pedestal. Pedestals are unrealistic, though, and people aren’t meant to be on them. Have grace for when people disappoint you, or for when you disappoint yourself. This beautiful adventure is called life. It’s going to surprise you and challenge you—and it’s not going to look how you had expected it to—ever! And that’s okay. Get comfortable in the uncomfortable—the not knowing.

     With all of that said, I end this post a little differently than pre-pandemic Sabrina would have. I always feel like I have to end things on a positive note. Maybe it’s because I’m a sucker for happy endings and naturally want there to be one. Pre-pandemic Sabrina ended this so full of hope, excited for a year full of as of yet unknowns and adventures. While this year has definitely held quite a few surprises, not all of which were bad, more than ever this year has tested us all and pushed us to many of our breaking points. I wish I could share something incredibly positive, something uplifting, or something exciting, but I’m afraid I just don’t have it. I think in the absence of that, the one positive this new space has left in my life right now is time to reflect, time to sit in the space created, just me. I’m getting comfortable, really comfortable, with just being me. It’s not easy, especially as I crave connection and companionship, but I also know, deep down, just how necessary it is. In this vacuum of time and space this pandemic has created, I’m learning how to truly love me, to learn the wounds I have yet to heal, and—probably the hardest yet—how to finally let go of not having a romantic relationship. It’s hard, and it can be scary, but I think it’s exactly where I’m supposed to be. As scary as “giving up” has felt for me, I feel only stronger in who I am for having finally done it. I’m not giving up forever. But I am—for now. And I’m okay with that. In letting go, I feel that I have found the strength within me to face this, but also a feeling of peace about it. I genuinely don’t know what this next year will bring, BUT I can confidently say a stronger Sabrina will be here to face it. And for that, I am grateful.

[war-of-the-words]

The Best Friend Trap

Summary:  It's like the Parent Trap but it's their best friends and not their parents. Written Aug 2019 Read on AO3

Ran was just picking up some coffee, because God knows Shinichi will need it, when she saw herself walk into the cafe. Well, it was kind of her. The girl was about her height, maybe a little shorter, her hair much more messy, and her eyes a little darker, but they could have been sisters, maybe even twins. They made eye contact and Ran knew she had to talk to this girl.

 She patiently waited at a table near the door as the other girl ordered her drink, she could tell by the way she kept glancing over that she was interested in speaking to her doppleganger. Ran watched eagerly as the barista handed the to-go cup over the counter. The girl thanked the employee and turned to head for the door, she was still glancing at Ran, no matter how hard she tried to make it seem like she wasn't. "Excuse me," Ran called, making eye contact with the girl, "Can I talk to you for a moment?" The other girl looked slightly embarrassed, but she made her way over. "I'm sorry if this is strange," Ran began as the other girl sat down, "but I just had the feeling that I had to get to know you."

 "Not at all!" the other girl replied. Her voice was similar to Ran's, but she spoke in a more energetic tone. "I was so shocked when I walked in and saw myself, I knew I had to talk to you."

 "I'm glad we're on the same page," Ran giggled, "My name is Mouri Ran, but you can just call me Ran if you like." The girl had a bright smile, she wore all her emotions on her sleeve.

 "I'm Nakamori Aoko, but you can call me Aoko, Ran." In that moment, Ran was certain that she and Aoko were destined to become good friends.

 They talked about everything. Ran talked about karate, which Aoko found awe-inspiring. Both talked about their fear of ghosts, as well as commiserating over their father's profession. Starting on one topic lead to another, which sent them down a rabbit hole into niche topics that they couldn't believe they agreed upon. Ran felt relieved she had decided to wait on buying Shinichi's coffee until after she talked to Aoko, she knew the sleep-deprived goblin Shinichi became during long cases would drink it cold, but Ran liked to maintain some of her best friend's humanity if she could. Speaking of best friends, Ran checked her phone and cursed under her breath.

 "I'm so sorry, Aoko, but Shinichi expected me almost an hour ago now and I'm worried that if I don't see him soon he'll get too absorbed into work again."

 "Shinichi?" Aoko asked, a confused look gracing her face before it turned into a teasing smirk, "Is he your boyfriend?"

 "What?" Ran laughed, not having heard someone refer to her best friend that way in quite some time, "No, nothing like that, he's by best friend, has been since we were kids."

 "Like Kaito and I!" Aoko eyes lit up, "Ran, we have way too much in common. Please don't tell me your childhood best friend is also a world traveling magician."

 "No, he's the opposite actually, he works as a consulting detective with the TMPD, 'just like Holmes'," Ran said, in her best Shinichi interpretation, which made Aoko laugh.

 "I'm glad we have one thing that isn't in common," Aoko said, "Kaito is a magician, like his dad, I'm proud of him, but he only ever comes back to Japan for a few days at a time, I miss him." Aoko's smile turned melancholic as she reached into her bag. "Before he set off on his first tour of Europe, I complained that I barely had any photos of him, 'Phone pictures aren't enough, BaKaito! What happens if something happens to it!'" She pulled a torn, folded photograph out of her wallet, "Then he gave me this, I don't know why he tore it, but this is the happiest I've seen him, ever, I think." Aoko delicately unfolded the photograph, Ran's first thought was of how similar to Shinichi Kaito looked. Her second was how familiar the photo seemed.

 Kaito wore a tailored black suit, there was a red rose on his lapel shiny gold band on his finger. He was seated in some kind of office, which seemed unnatural for his state of dress. Most intriguing was how the photo was ripped; Kaito seemed to be leaning toward somebody toward the left, but there was only the ripped edge. "I have no idea where this was taken," Aoko said, staring at the photo intently, "and I don't know why he's dressed like that, especially the ring, he usually keeps his hands free of jewelry in case they mess up a trick." A light bulb went off in Ran's head.

 She began furiously digging around in her bag, desperate to find her own wallet. Why it took her so long to make the connection, she didn't know. "Ran, is there something wrong?" Aoko's concerned voice asked, but Ran was too focused on her task. She pulled out her wallet and quickly opened one of the small pockets, pulling out a folded up photograph of her own. She quickly unfolded it, revealing the image. Like Aoko's, it was torn on one side, and depicted her best friend, sitting in a fancy suit in some kind of office, a gold band on his ring finger. Delicately, Ran placed them next to one another, the torn edges matching perfectly. They both sat in stunned silence for a moment.

 "I think we have something else in common," Ran said, meeting Aoko's equally as shocked gaze.

 Kuroba Kaito and Kudou Shinichi fell in love, fast. In a whirlwind of emotions, only after half a year of dating they got married. It was a secret affair, too embarrassed to admit to their friends that they had been seeing someone at all, let alone married. They were planning on introducing their friends to one another, but that was for a later time, at least, it was supposed to be.

 Kuroba Kaito and Kudou Shinichi fell out of love, fast. They barely knew one another, they kept secrets from one another, and in a whirlwind of emotion, Kuroba Kaito hopped on a plane and left the country. The divorce papers came soon after. No one had known the two had been married, and the two never spoke about it. If they suddenly made great strides in pursuing their careers, their friends chalked it up to their dedicated nature.

 That was, of course, until Nakamori Aoko and Mouri Ran met.

 "I can't believe that Shinichi would get married and not tell me." Ran growled, "I can't believe that I didn't notice!"

 "It's not just you, Ran," Aoko replied, a murderous look on her face, "I can't believe it either." Ran sighed looking at the photo again. They had matched up timelines of when they thought this could have happened. They decided that it had been several years ago, they looked younger in the picture, before they had thrown themselves into their careers. The point in time when they both dove head first into the thick of their jobs matched up too, Kaito left for Europe at the same time Shinichi took on a heavier case load. Ran felt stupid for not pressing him about it, she knew he looked troubled around that time, but she brushed it off as inconsequential.

 "I'm such an idiot." Aoko interrupted Ran's thoughts. "When Kaito told me he was leaving for Europe, I knew he was upset about something, he had been upset and angry for months, but I never asked. On the day he left, he just seemed sad."

 "They look so happy," Ran looked at her best friend's frozen face, his smile wide and genuine, a light blush on his cheeks, Ran can't remember the last time he smiled like that, "I wonder what happened."

 "I wonder if they miss each other." Aoko added, "Kaito always says he's too busy for love, that he doesn't want to have to choose between work and a significant other, but he always looks pained when he says it. He thinks I don't notice, but I always do."

 "Shinichi's dated, but it never seems to stick, despite his mother's best efforts. This might be why. It's a shame he's too stubborn to admit it and try to make amends," Ran laughed.

 "So we make them."

 "What?" Ran looked up at Aoko, her new friend's eyes alight with a plan.

 "We make them," Aoko repeated. "It they're too stubborn to see one another, we make a reason for them to see one another." Well, Ran was intrigued; she motioned for Aoko to continue. "Ran, we look nearly identical, if I try hard enough I could easily make my hair look like yours, and a bit of roughing up can make yours look like mine, our eyes are nearly the same color and we are about the same height and weight. In order to see if each other's best friend is worthy of the other, and to force them to see one another again, we switch places."

 "You want me to be you?" Ran said, her brain still working out how the whole thing would work.

 "Exactly," Aoko was all confidence, "I'm leaving to meet Kaito in Paris in about a week from now, you go in my place, get to know him, and, when the time is right, tell him who you are. I'll stay here, take your place, spend time with Shinichi, and decide whether or not to get them back together."

 "Aoko," Ran looked at her sternly, "This plan is insane. I love it."

 "Well, I better get good at being you."

 "Ran! What took you so long!" Shinichi whined as his best friend let herself into his library. He had himself draped over the sofa so that he was staring at her upside down, a book resting open on his chest.

 "I was making friends." Ran replied.

 "With the barista? If you're trying to convince them to make you free coffee, let me tell you that it doesn't work. That's why Miki and I broke up."

 "Because you only dated her to get free coffee?"

 "You don't have to put it that way." Shinichi pouted at her. All of his relationships were this superficial, so Ran isn't surprised at his motive especially she was the fifth barista he tried to date. It made more sense now that she knew he had been married. Her best friend looked nothing like the one in the picture, his faced was creased with worry lines and his eyes had permanent bags under them. She was surprised to find him reading instead of working on a case, it was all he seemed to do anymore, when he's not busy hitting on baristas.

 "Come on, sit up," She instructed, making her way over to the couch. "I remembered your coffee."

 "You're the best." Shinichi sat up and greedily snatched the cup. "Ekoda really has the best coffee shops."

 "You can always go yourself you know," Ran reminded him. If she wasn't looking for it, she would have missed the way his body tensed. Kaito lived in Ekoda, Ran had learned, which made Shinichi's aversion to the area much clearer.

 "It's too far to go for coffee, I need to be here in case the TMPD needs me." Ran hummed in acknowledgement. The library was a mess as always. The desk was littered with case files; a few stacks had coffee mugs as the foundation. Loose papers lay nearby sporting Shinichi's handwriting; they were notes on different cases as well as a few doodles, which he sometimes does to help him think. She should probably tidy things up a little while she's here. Maybe probe for information while she does.

 "So," she began, conversationally, "Is there anyone new who hasn't been a barista?" Ran moved the folders off the desk in order to clear away the dirty mugs.

 "Hmm, not really." Shinichi looked bored, he always did when Ran tried to talk about relationships.

 "Not really doesn't sound like a no."

 "My mom is setting me up with someone again, that's all."

 "Well, I can't blame her. I don't think I've ever seen you in a serious relationship, Shinichi. Don't you ever want to get married?" Ran held her breath and studied her best friend carefully, there was a small look of pain on his face that he quickly replaced with boredom.

 "Eventually," Shinichi said, his tone perfectly neutral, "I'm just waiting to make sure it's to the right person." Unlike last time, Ran thought. Whether his ex-husband was a good match or not was still to be determined, but they had clearly made a mistake marrying one another when they did.

 "I get to be your maid of honor, right?" Ran said teasingly, although she was still a bit peeved about being left out on his first wedding.

 "Of course," Shinichi held eye contact, a look of concern on his face; he must have picked up on her anger. "I couldn't imagine a ceremony without you by my side." His sincerity startled Ran a little, she had only meant it as a joke. Which begged the question, what had happened the first time?

 "Aoko!" Kaito whined from the other end of a phone, "What took you so long? You promised to call me hours ago!" Aoko imagined the exaggerated pout on her best friend's face and laughed.

 "I was getting coffee at that little cafe you like so much. I made a friend while I was there."

 "With a barista? If you're trying to get free coffee, those baristas are won't crack, trust me, I've tried."

 "Of course you have. I was also double checking my flight info for next week."

 "I can't believe it's next week! I haven't seen you in forever!" Kaito's excitement warmed Aoko's heart, and made her feel a little bad for lying. She had actually changed the ticket into Ran's name. They might look alike, but Aoko wouldn't risk Ran getting stopped by customs. "Honestly, Aoko, you need to come visit me more often."

 "I'm not made of money, Kaito."

 "I've told you! I will buy your tickets, it's the least I could do!"

 "I'm not going to make you do that Kaito," and thankfully, she hasn't she wouldn't be able to get Ran the ticket otherwise. "I don't care how well off you might be, I can buy the ticket so I will."

 "Fine," Kaito huffed, "All that really matters is that you're coming."

 "Oh? Are you eager to show me your secret fiancée or something?" Aoko could hear the small intake of breath on Kaito's end, unnoticeable if she had been breathing.

 "I've told you, I'm not ready to get married. I don't want to put myself in a position where I have to choose work or marriage." Like last time? Aoko thought. She didn't know why the two of them got married, but it definitely changed Kaito. He used to be a hopeless romantic, despite the image his constant flirting gave off, now he was reserved and wouldn't allow himself to develop feelings for anyone. If this Shinichi turned out to be a bad person, he would pay dearly for what he did to Kaito.

 The next week went by in a flash. The two girls met up every day, for hours at a time. They took notes and quizzed one another about their lives, their likes and dislikes, what words they would use when faced with different situations, it was quite the intensive. They went out one day and bought new shoes, both with a heel, Aoko's a little taller to match Ran's height as closely as possible. They also went to a salon and cut their hair to a matching length to make up for any disparity between them. After that, they practiced styling their hair to look like the other's. It was a startling sight. The night before Ran flew to France, she stayed at Aoko's house, finalizing the other's schedule and doing final checks. Aoko packed Ran's suitcase so she would be wearing clothes Kaito could identify as Aoko's, and Ran gave Aoko half of her own wardrobe, just in case. "Aoko's" trip was supposed to last for a month, so they wanted to be prepared.

 Then the day was upon them. Aoko saw Ran off at the airport, which was strange since they had swapped styles. Aoko had plans to meet Shinichi for lunch that afternoon, and Kaito was meeting Ran as soon as she landed, so they had to look the part. The non-stop flight was 12 hours, so she could only try to get some shut eye, hope the jet lag didn't hit her too hard, and pray that the "Detective of the East" didn't notice he wasn't eating with a stranger.

 Aoko really hoped Shinichi wouldn't notice he was eating with a stranger. They really needed this scheme to last for at least a week, it wasn't long, but they should be able to get a hold on who the ex-husband of their best friend was. Aoko arrived early, per Ran's instruction, but it only allowed her anxiety to fester. Shinichi was some hot-shot detective, not unlike Hakuba, so the bar on disguises was nothing to scoff at. It was also weird to refer to someone she had never met by their first name, but they were childhood best friend's now, so what the heck. Aoko could do this, she had seen plenty of spy movies, and Ran was thorough in the "Mouri Ran Crash course".

 "I'm sorry I'm late." A man sat down across from Aoko. She instantly recognized him as Shinichi, as she now had quite the substantial library of reference images courtesy of Ran. What Aoko was not prepared for, was the intensity of those piercing blue eyes in person. It was like they could see through her, to the rouse she was pulling. She resisted the temptation to come out and admit that she wasn't who she said she was, she had to do this, for Ran, for Kaito.

 "It's fine, Shinichi, really. You say that every time." Speaking in a voice that wasn't quite her own had been a challenge, one that she know held her breath to see if she overcame.

 "I know I do, but I am really sorry."

 Score.

 "Like I said, Shinichi, it's okay. You're busy, I get it, I'm just glad you show up at all." Aoko gave him a warm smile. Ran had trained her in this exact scenario, it seems this is the usual way they start a lunch date. The smile Shinichi gave her in return made her see how Kaito could have fallen for him.

 "Well, at least let me treat you to lunch."

 "I certainly wouldn't protest to that."

 After lunch, which was a delightful meal in a cute little cafe Aoko had never been to before, they went for a walk, window shopping and talking. Aoko remembered all of the stores Ran had said she would most definitely force Shinichi to go in to, the kinds of things Ran said she would stop to admire, the kinds of small talk she would make and how she would respond to the comments Shinichi made, she was incredibly proud of her performance. Until, "Hey, Ran? Can I ask you something?"

 "Of course, Shinichi, what is it?" Shinichi looked at her, his eyes seemed to not look at her, but at the parts of her, like she was a painting and Shinichi was an incredibly harsh critic. Aoko pushed down the panic.

 "You seem... tense today. Is something wrong?" Well, at least he hadn't called her out for not being Ran, she could handle this, she was tense after all. She forced herself to relax and smile at him.

 "I'm just a little stressed right now, that's all, but hanging out with you really helps." That wasn't quite a lie, so far, Shinichi has been nothing but kind, making her laugh, treating her, indulging her fancies with only the half-hearted protest, he made her feel at ease.

 "That would explain the haircut, and all the shopping you're doing, those are new shoes, aren't they?" Well, Aoko wouldn't complain if that's how Shinichi decided to write off the changes in "Ran's" appearance.

 "I just felt like a change, that's all," Aoko pouted and played with a strand of hair.

 "It's cute," Shinichi said with a smile, playfully ruffling her hair, which prompted Aoko to swat his hand away. The small laugh he gave in return really reminded her of Kaito. So did the way his face fell as he turned away from her. They walked in silence for a bit before he spoke again. "Ran, have you been on a date recently?" Aoko was a bit taken aback, but this was a golden opportunity to get the man's opinions about love straight from him, and Ran had prepared her for these sorts of questions.

 "No, not recently, why, have you?"

 "Yeah, my mom made me meet up with some girl the other day. Her dad knows my mom, apparently he owns some fashion magazine and they swear up and down she is going to be the next big thing in the industry."

 "Who is 'they'?"

 "All of them. Mom, her father, her, all of the blogs and articles on her I looked at after Mom gave me her name."

 "Well, how was the date?" Aoko could hear the anticipation in her voice, she was just hoping Shinichi didn't.

 "It was a date," Shinichi shrugged, a bored look on his face, "We had dinner, she talked about her dreams, mentioned how rich I was, gushed about how brave I must be for working in homocide and how she 'could never bear to see another human being who had died in such an awful way.'" The way he said the last part was with as much drama as you could expect from an actress' son.

 "But did you like her?"

 "Well, I guess? I mean, she was a model, so of course she was pretty, and she was polite in conversation, although she did find some way to mention how rich my family was every couple of minutes. I'm going on another date with her next Wednesday, so we'll see if the conversation improves any." A second date? Ran said most don't last a whole one! It was probably just because his mom was making him, but something about the situation didn't sit right with Aoko.

 "You better tell me all about it.  I expect a full report on Thursday."

 "Yes ma'am." Shinichi laughed, but the way it didn't quite reach his eyes was far too much like Kaito.

 Kaito was an absolute bundle of energy. As soon as Ran walked out into the baggage claim, she was swept up into somebody's arms. "Aoko!" the voice cheered, and Ran was glad she was able to suppress her first instinct, which was to take whoever decided to touch her down. Craning her head to the side, she could see the man who had picked her up. He had a brilliant, 100 watt smile and his mischievous eyes were just a shade off of purple. He was clearly Kuroba Kaito, rising star in the magic world, and Ran instantly liked him. "I missed you so much."

 "I missed you too, but you better put me down before I make you." Kaito, unintimidated, gave her another squeeze before gently putting her down. Ran felt bad she had threatened him, but that's how Aoko said she would greet him. She turned to face the magician, once again captivated by how earnestly happy he was to see her, was he this joyful around Shinichi? Did he greet her best friend with such a warm and caring expression?

 "You cut your hair," Kaito stated letting himself look at her properly for the first time as well, "It's short, but I like it." Ran pulled at some strands self-consciously, it had been a long time since she had cut her hair so short.

 "Thanks," she replied, her cheeks flushing ever so slightly.

 "Aw, Aoko, are you embarrassed? You didn't get all dolled up for me, did you?"

 "BaKaito," Ran responded in the fashion Aoko instructed, "Last time I herad, you weren't interested in dating, I got dolled up for all the handsome French boys I'm going to meet."

 "Aoko! You wound me! Am I not a handsome French boy? I've lived here for more than half a decade now. Besides, I can go on dates with people, I just won't get into any serious relationship." His expression changed ever so slightly as he said it, like the joy that was there so effortlessly before had to be forced to keep its place. Ran knew that expression, it was just like Shinichi's when he spoke about romance. Ran hated that look.

 "Well come on then 'handsome French boy', take this girl out to get something to eat, I'm starving!"

 "As you wish." Kaito smoothly brought Ran's hand up to lay a kiss across her knuckles, a teasing look in his eyes, and, yeah, Ran could see how Shinichi could fall in love with him.

 Ran spent two weeks with Kaito before she got the call. It had been a wonderful time, accompanying Kaito to his performances to different venues across France, hanging out afterwords, eating all kinds of new food, visiting museums, it was the vacation she needed. With each passing day Ran fel more in love with Kaito, platonically, of course. He was charming and sweet and just a bit mischeious. Most importantly, in Ran's eyes he cared so deeply about those around him. Not only did he dedicate all of this time to "Aoko", but after shows he would spend time talking with the audience, answering questions, taking photos, being genuinely interested in their lives. He was kind to the store clerks and waiters as well, always smiling with them and making small talk without seeming patronizing or overbearing. He carried joy with him, wherever he went, spreading it to others whenever possible, yet there was still sadness lingering in his eyes, just like Shinichi.

 She saw it there, but only because she was so used to having watch Shinichi for those same signs, the subtle way smiles won't reach the eyes, the melancholy that comes and goes in the blink of an eye, getting lost in thoughts and then brushing off her questioning. He didn't want her to get involved in his sadness. Aoko said he was a hopeless romantic, but the look in his eyes when they would wander to a couple at a different table, the way they would laugh with one another, Ran could see the sad longing in his eyes. Ran suspected he hadn't completely forgotten about Shinichi. Especially considering what happened the day before the call.

 They had decided to spend the night at Ran's hotel, indulging in the luxury of delivery chain pizza and cheap alcohol. They were just relaxing, watching whatever random movies crossed the screen, which Ran couldn't understand so Kaito dramatically translated. It was just dumb fun. Then Kaito had a few too many beers. It didn't matter, he was planning on spending the night in Ran's extra bed, but Ran quickly learned that he was an emotional drunk.

 "How come they get to be in love," Kaito complained, groaning at the couple that was currently making out on screen. He had stopped translating a beer and a half ago, so Ran didn't really know what this movie was about, but the man had just clearly proposed, which then prompted Kaito's rant. "It's not fair! I tried so hard, but did I get a happily ever after? Nooooooooo sir." Then he started crying. Ran was beginning to get concerned. "Aoko," he sobbed, "Did I do something wrong? I did my best, but was I just not good enough?"

 "Kaito, I think you've had enough to drink now." Ran used the gentlest voice she could, the one she saves for children, and an equally drunk and upset Shinichi. "I'm sure you did your best, but maybe it was the other person who didn't try hard enough." Ran didn't doubt that, Shinichi could get sucked into his investigation and ignore everything around him, he could have fell head first into an investigation and blocked everything else out, including his husband, as much as she hated to believe he could.

 "No!" Kaito sat up and stared at her with large, innocent eyes, "It wasn't their fault! Sure, they would forget sometimes, but they would always make it up to me. They tried their best, too. I know they did." Kaito sniffled some more. Ran was shocked, she didn't expect him to defend his ex, but the look in his eyes was clear. He believed in Shinichi, whole-heartedly, and he was still in love.

 "Come on, Kaito. I think it's time we go to bed, what do you say?" She offered her hand to the boy and pulled him up from where he has slumped on the couch. She helped him to the bathroom to brush his teeth, then made sure he didn't collapse before she got him onto the bed. He hit the pillow and was asleep before Ran made it back to the bathroom for her own nightly routine. She let out a sigh, she made her decision a while ago, but this set it in stone. Ran liked Kaito, and she thinks Shinichi is a fool for ever letting him go. She has to at least try to get them to reconcile, she didn't know about fixing their marriage, but it was at least a place to start. Ran decided she could think about it in the morning.

 Ran didn't have the time to think about it in the morning. Ran woke up to the sound of her phone ringing. She had a slight hangover, and it had just turned 10 in the morning. She groaned and pulled her phone over. The caller ID read "Ran". Ran instantly woke up, she hopped up and ran to the bathroom, closing the door gently behind herself as she answered the phone. "Hello?" she answered in a quiet voice.

 "Ran, we have an emergency," Aoko said in a panicked voice on the other end of the phone.

 "What's wrong? Is Shinichi hurt? Was he kidnapped again?" Ran's voice began to rise, panic twisting in her gut.

 "He's fine, but this is worse, in a way."

 "Aoko, hurry, tell me what's wrong!"

 "Ran, Shinichi is engaged."

 "What?" Ran asked, but her voice was devoid of emotion.

 "It gets worse," Aoko continued, "The wedding day is in two weeks."

 Aoko stood in the bathroom, listening to the silence on the other end of the phone. She was glad it was deserted as the patrons of such a high class place might not enjoy hearing about Aoko's current crisis. Really, she just thought Shinichi wanted to treat her to a nice meal to make up for missing breakfast the other morning. That was one of the great things about Shinichi, he always tried to make up for even the slightest inconvenience. It wasn't his fault he missed breakfast either, the TMPD had all of their staff finishing up preparations for a huge drug bust they were pulling off that morning, Shinichi had been in the station for over 12 hours when he called Aoko to apologize for missing the date, just about the same time her dad texted her to complain about having to be brought in to help the team prepare.

 She let out a sigh, Ran still in shock on the other end, and thought about the two weeks that lead up to this moment. She and Shinichi hang out constantly, and if they weren't together, Shinichi was working, or so she thought. She forgot all about the second date that Shinichi went on with the model his mom had set him up with. That Thursday, Aoko went over to have breakfast at Shinichi's before they went to go see a new detective movie that was released early that week.

 "How did the date go?" Aoko had asked that morning, watching Shinichi rub the sleep out of her eyes, hopefully distracting him from the way she fumbled around the unfamiliar kitchen trying to get a pot of coffee brewing.

 "Mmm, fine," was Shinichi's sleep tinged reply. Aoko finally managed to get the coffee maker going and Shinichi moved toward the machine in a zombie like fashion, apparently drawn to just the mere noise of a coffee machine starting. Aoko laughed and waited until he had had a couple of sips before continuing her question. One thing she had quickly learned was just how bad of a morning person he was.

 "No, really, Shinichi, tell me about her," Aoko pressed, nudging his arm in a playful manner.

 "Have I told you she's pretty?" Shinichi began, eyeing Aoko like he really wasn't sure.

 "Yeah, you said she was going to be the next big thing in the fashion industry."

 "No, I said everyone else said she was going to be the next big thing. But, yeah, she has the looks to get noticed, that's for sure, and with the connections her father has, it wouldn't surprise me if she makes it big."

 "So, do you like her?" Shinichi hesitated, obviously mulling something over in his mind.

 "Enough to go on some more dates, yeah. Although she doesn't seem like the type who can handle dating an always busy-law-enforcement-type for too long." Aoko laughed, she knew that life far too well, he dad was almost never home, especially after the return of Kaitou KID, although the thief now barely showed himself and was rarely holding heists in Japan. "She's witty, and can keep a conversation going. She can be a little self-centered, but she's a model, what else could you expect?" Aoko hummed in reply before changing the conversation.

 At the time, she only thought that Shinichi was vaguely interested in her on a physical level. It was clear to her that this model was the materialistic type, and she thought Shinichi could see her real personality better that Aoko could, what with him being the Heisei Holmes and all.

 She had shown up to the restaurant in a nice dress, excited at the prospect of eating some upper-class cuisine, just hanging out with Shinichi. Despite his chaotic schedule, he was fun to be around. He was a little nerdy and liked to talk about books more than Aoko could handle, but he gave her some good recommendations and his discerning eye and dry wit made people watching quite the treat. Despite all that, it was obvious just how emotional a person Kudou Shinichi was. He always felt guilty for making Aoko wait, even if it was for only a few minutes, and when he talked about some of his recent cases, which he apologized for before doing but said he just needed to get it off his chest, he talked about how terrible he felt for the culprit, the man had recently lost his wife in a car accident which caused him to hunt down the man who had hit her. Obviously, he believes a criminal should pay for their crimes, but he also tries to understand the reason behind it, Shinichi never forgets that first and foremost, people are human and flawed. So, yeah, Aoko approved of Shinichi, she was just worried about worried about how flippantly he treated romance, but Ran always talked about what a secret romantic Shinichi was, until just around they predicted their divorce to have happened.

 When Aoko spotted Shinichi, she was absolutely astounded to find a woman already at the table, seated next to him. “Ran!” Shinichi’s face light up when he saw her, and it made her regret not going to see Kaito, just a little, so she could see the joy in his own eyes.

 “Hey, Shinichi,” she greeted, taking a seat across from him, “who is this?”

 “This is Midori Kyoya. She’s the model I told you about.”

 “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Shinichi has told me so much about you.”

 “Likewise,” Aoko replied, a formal smile on her face as she took in this new development. She was pretty, that’s for sure. She had long, wavy, black hair and fair skin. She wore a dress that made Aoko almost embarrassed and she was fairly certain all of the diamonds she was wearing could buy her a house and a half. The thing that really caught her attention was the ring resting on her left ring finger.

 “I invited you so that you could be the first to know, Ran,” Shinichi said, his smile still wide and shining, “Midori and I are engaged!” Aoko felt her heart stop. This was not good. Thankfully, she believed even Ran would be just as shocked in this situation, so Shinichi didn’t think twice about the way she froze, "And I know this is kind of rushed, but we get married in two weeks."

 “Con-Congratulations Shinichi. I- wow- I’m speechless.”

 “I know it’s kind of sudden, but like you’ve said, I need to start taking romance seriously, and then Midori came into my life and it just seemed like fate, you know?” Shinichi scratched his head in embarrassment while his fiancee cooed over him.

 Shinichi, this is not the time to be a romantic. Aoko silently cursed him. “Well, that’s fantastic!” She said instead, she could be quite the actor when she wanted to be. “I’m really happy for you!”

 “Shinichi’s shoulders dropped as he let out a sigh of relief. “I’m so glad you think so, honestly, I was afraid you would be mad at me for making my decision so quickly.”

 Absolutely furious. “Don’t be silly! If this is what you believe is right, who am I to stop you!” Shinichi began to talk about his bride to be, while she herself jumped in to embellish some facts and add dramatic commentary. Aoko allowed herself to be spoken too, maintaining the proper decorum for such a situation, until they had ordered their meals, then she excused herself to the bathroom, which is where she know finds herself.

 “I can’t believe him!” Ran finally answered from the other end of the phone. “This is completely insane! He’s only known her for, what, three weeks at the most? And he decides to get married!? Aoko, I’m coming back and slapping some sense into that boy.”

 "You can't! We have to keep up the ruse; I think it's still our best shot at getting the two to meet back up." Ran was silent for a while.

 "So you think so too? That they are good for one another?"

 "I think?" Aoko let out a sigh, "I don't know how they were in their first relationship, but something tells me that they are meant to be with one another." Ran laughed on the other end of the phone.

 "I'm glad we agree, so, how are we going to get it through their thick skulls?" A devious grin spread across Aoko's face.

 "I'm so glad you asked. You see, they're checking out the hotel they want to have the wedding at this Saturday, and I think we should give them a surprise."

 Ran had a devious smile on her face as she got off the phone with Aoko. It was a wild plan, the only kind the girl seemed to formulate, but it could work, and it would definitely get the boys to see one another. But before she could really get this ball rolling, she had a confession to make.

 "Aoko!" Kaito yelled from the other side of the door, "What are you yelling about so early in the morning? I have a headache." Ran rolled his eyes at his complaint and grabbed a couple painkillers and a glass of water, pushing them on him when she opened the door.

 "Here, you goof."

 "You're the greatest," Kaito said, adoration on his face as he swallowed the pills. "But really, what were you yelling about? You sounded really upset." Curiosity and worry mixed together on his face, and Ran decided that now was the time.

 "Kaito, about five years ago, did you get married?" Shock filled the magician's eyes, and he gaped like a fish for a while before finding his voice.

 "Aoko, what on earth are you talking about? You know I would tell you if I ever did, I wouldn't have a wedding without you! Besides when would I have even met a girl-"

 "But it wasn't a girl," Ran stated flatly, walking over to her purse and pulling out her half of the photo, handing it over to Kaito.

 "Shinichi," Kaito breathed, looking at her best friend's face. His face softened and a nostalgic smile graced his lips before he remembered where he was. "Aoko, where on Earth did you find this? I haven't seen this photo in half a decade."

 "I'm just going to rip the band-aid off, Kuroba, I'm not Aoko." He looked at her confused, then he began to really look at her, and apparently, found the evidence he needed.

 "Oh my God, you aren't Aoko," Kaito said, his voice more in awe than in anger, "You aren't my best friend and I didn't even notice. But if you aren't her," Kaito continued, suspicion now filling his tone, "Then who are you?"

 "My name is Mouri Ran," she said, sticking out her hand, "and half a decade ago you married my best friend."

 Kaito said nothing, walked over to the bed, face planted into it, and screamed into a pillow. Ran thought he was coping with this new information fairly well. After about a minute of that, he sat back up and looked at her. "I can't believe I finally got to officially meet you," Kaito said, wonderstruck. "Shinichi and I always talked about when we should get the four of us together, we wanted it to be this big surprise," he began rambling, his eyes drifting back to the memory, "We were going to introduce you and then ask for the two of you to be our Maids of Honor. We were going to have a big ceremony for our one year, a proper wedding, you know? We just wanted to wait until we could pay for it ourselves, without relying on our parents' money."

 "But you divorced before that happened," Ran finished for him, taking a seat next to him on the bed, "And you cut all contact with one another, then, five years later, those same friends have a chance encounter where they come to quite a shocking conclusion."

 "Of course this was Aoko's idea," Kaito laughed, "Her ideas were always even crazier than mine, but they always seem to work in her favor, but to switch places and have you fly over seas to meet a complete stranger? I'm surprised you agreed."

 "Well," Ran offered, "How could I say no to the man who has my best friend's heart?"

 "Had, you mean. I lost that before we ever got a divorce."

 "I don't think so, I've seen the way he gets lost in thought sometimes, and he hasn't taken any relationship seriously since then, he's become so lost emotionally."

 "You think he's still in love with me?"

 "Somewhere deep down, yeah, I think he does."

 "I'm sorry, Ran," Kaito shook his head sadly, "Our marriage failed because we were never in love, we were just young and stupid, Shinichi made that perfectly clear. We will never be in a relationship again, so if you came out here trying to set us up, it's not going to happen."

 "And that's okay," Ran said, laying a comforting hand on his shoulder, "From what I heard from Aoko, and from my extensive knowledge of Shinichi, I just think the two of you should meet up and make up. Even if you weren't meant to be married, leaving a relationship in such a terrible way is a heavy weight to bear for the rest of your life."

 "You want us to see one another?"

 "Yeah, just meet up, switch us back, and try to resolve whatever left a bad taste in your mouth, I'm not asking you to get back together."

 "'Switch us back'? So Aoko has been hanging out with Shinichi the whole time you've been here? I can't say I'm too surprised. Does he know?"

 "Of course!" Ran lied, he couldn't know about the engagement. "He really wants to make up, too."

 "Really?" There was a hopeful look in his eyes, Ran nodded in confirmation.

 "So, you aren't mad about this?" Ran questioned, the guilt of it all weighing on her mind.

 "Of course not." Kaito looked at her with such tenderness, such kindness, that she knew no matter what happened between him and Shinichi that she wasn't going to let Kaito stop being her friend, if that's what they were, hopefully. "Ran, I've wanted to meet you for years now, the way Shinichi smiled when he talked about you, I knew I would regret it for the rest of my life if I never got the chance to become your friend." Ran felt joyful tears well up in her eyes and she pulled Kaito into a tight hug. "So," he said, wiping a few tears from his eyes, "How are we getting you home."

 Aoko was going to lose. Her. Mind. Midori was the text-book two-face. After she returned to the table, having calmed down after calculating their next move, Shinichi excused himself to the bathroom, giving Midori a kiss before he left, gross.

 "So, are you in love with him?" Midori asked as soon as Shinichi was out of earshot.

 "What? No! Of course not! He's been my best friend since we were little!"

 "Oh, come on," Midori looked at her like she was something that belonged in the trash, "You look like you need his money, and marriage is the perfect way to get to it. I'm sure you were banking on the fact he was never going to get married, so you would just suggest you two do so "as friends". Well too bad sugar, I beat you to the punch."

 "So you only want him because he's rich?" Aoko had to control her anger, she didn't want to make a scene.

 "Oh no, of course not! Not only is he rich, but he's also incredibly handsome. Great arm candy for someone like me. Plus, he's busy so often that he is barely around, meaning I can practically do what I want."

 "You're disgusting," Aoko spat, "There is no way in hell Shinichi is going to marry you."

 "Oh darling, but he is." Midori sat back, a smirk across her lips. "He feels so pressured by you and his family to get married, the boy is desperate, he won't believe a word you say about me." Her voice was sickeningly sweet with pseudo-affection. "My poor Shinichi just wants a pretty wife he can show off to his mama to make her happy. And that's just what I am!"

 "I think I'll go," Aoko replied coolly, standing just as Shinichi returned to the table.

 "Ran, what's wrong, did something happen?" The concern in his eyes made Aoko want to shake some sense into him then and there, but she knew Midori was right, Shinichi was desperate, she could see it in the way he was constantly looking over at her over to make sure he still had her approval, and how he clung so tightly to Midori, as if she would decide to get up and leave any second.

 "No, Shinichi, everything is fine, I just forgot I promised to go see Dad tonight, I'll leave the two of you to a romantic dinner, have fun!" Aoko walked away before Shinichi could stop her, storming all the way back home. It didn't matter whether or not she could convince Shinichi that this marriage was a terrible idea, Shinichi was a grown man, he could decide that for himself, all she needed to do was make him see Kaito again.

 God bless Shinichi and his air-tight dedication to his friends. He, of course, insisted on bringing "Ran" with them to look at the venue for their wedding, which must have upset Midori judging by the constant glares Aoko was receiving, thankfully, she knew how to keep a poker face. She could feel the anticipation of the day welling up, a mixture of nerves and excitement. Now knowing both boys, she was hoping this little reunion ended with at least reconciliation and friendship, not that she would complain if they became something more.

 Shinichi wandered off, leaving the two girls alone, trying to find the person who was showing them around the hotel today. Aoko controlled her breathing, promising herself to maintain Ran's cool composure, even when left alone with Shinichi's vile fiancée. "This is the worst." Midori was the first one to break the silence. "Not only does Shinichi decide on some cheap hotel to hold our wedding in, but he just has to bring along a charity case."

 "I'm sorry?" Aoko replied, the reins on her temper slipping ever so slightly.

 "Oh come on, you know it's true. Why else would Shinichi keep you around? Helping the poor is an easy way to feel better about yourself. He probably just chose this hotel so you wouldn't feel so bad about yourself." She didn't make eye contact with Aoko, just stood there, looking bored, doing something on her phone while she waited for Shinichi to get back. "I'll just make him cut ties after we're married, happy wife, happy life." She muttered the last part to herself, but still loud enough that Aoko could hear. Aoko was about to retort when her phone buzzed.

 Plane landed, be there soon. Thank the heavens, the cavalry was here. Why should Aoko be the one to tear this girl to ruins when she can let Ran do it herself, it would be such a delight. Armed with this comfort, Aoko was able to maintain her composure. "Whatever helps you sleep at night, Midori."

 "I'm back!" Shinichi called, half-jogging his way back over to the girls before either of them could say anything more. "Is everything okay, Midori?" The girl had a pitiful look on her face, classic crocodile tears.

 "It's nothing," she sniffled, wiping away a non-existent tear, "Ran just said something about me just being another fling." Shinichi looked at Aoko with confusion and hurt in his eyes.

 "Ran wouldn't say something like that," Shinichi said, a twinge of doubt in his voice, "You probably just misunderstood something she said, right, Ran?"

 "Of course!" Aoko replied, a bit too defensively, "I said absolutely nothing of the kind to her!"

 "And now she's saying I'm a liar." Midori sniffled some more, achieving in actually producing a few tears. "You don't think I'm a liar, do you Shinichi?"

 "Of course I don't," Shinichi replied, a soft look on his face that Aoko absolutely hated. "I'm sure this was all one big misunderstanding. Now, let's go see that ballroom, okay?" Midori gave a pitiful nod and Shinichi took her hand. Aoko screamed inwardly.

 Ran was so nervous she was going to be sick. Her stomach was twisting in all sorts of knots, but when she looked at Kaito, she knew he had it worse. He was pale, and jittery, his foot tapping wildly in the back of the taxi they were taking to the hotel. He must have looked through his bag five times before he finally allowed Ran to pull him away from baggage claim. Now, he was just talking to himself, mumbling all kinds of undecipherable phrases that Ran thought better then to attempt to understand. Frankly speaking, he was a mess. When they finally pulled up to the hotel, Ran had to physically pull Kaito from the backseat. "I'm not ready!" Kaito shouted, desperately clinging to the taxi door. "I'm not presentable!"

 "That's why we have a room!" Ran shouted back, pulling just shy of full strength, not wanting to pull his arm out of its socket. "But you won't have time to get presentable if you don't get a move on!" That seemed to make sense to Kaito's scrambled brain, as he suddenly dashed forward to reception, all of their bags in tow. Apologizing to the driver and paying the fare, Ran made her way in. Just in time to see the door closing on an elevator with Kaito in it. Fantastic. "Room 412!" He shouted, thinking to give her the room number, but not hold the elevator. What a mess. With a sigh, she walked over to the elevator, requesting the next car, when the other one opened. A woman walked right into her.

 "Oh," the woman said, looking disgusted, "I thought you were still looking at that hideous reception room with Shinichi."

 "What?" Ran eloquently replied, the woman was wearing an expensive looking dress hugging her fit figure, clearly trying to show it off. Her face was scrunched into a disgusting scowl, but it was evident she was  pretty.

 "Of course you wouldn't think so," the woman's face turned to boredom, "Well, if Shinichi is so set on it, I don't care. I just want to get this over with." That informal way of addressing Shinichi, her good looks, the deplorable aura she was giving off.

 "Midori?"

 "What?" The woman snapped. Well, Ran knew her best friend's fiancée now. Ran was thankful Aoko decided they should wear matching outfits today, she hadn't planned on meeting Midori so soon.

 "Nothing," Ran said.

 "Well, go do something useful and go find Shinichi for me." She pulled out her phone and checked her head for stray hairs, completely ignoring Ran's existence. Bless Aoko and her willpower.

 "Sure thing," Ran said, making her way on to the elevator as quickly as possible. Midori stood there for half a beat more, missing the person who came out of the elevator, a messy-haired magician who was looking around guiltily for the person he had abandoned in the lobby, but didn't miss her finace walking toward her, he himself unaware of the other man in the lobby.

 "Babe! There you are! What took you so long?" She cooed, draping herself over the man as they walked into the elevator together.

 "Sorry, Ran was really invested in the kinds of lights that would look best in the room, she went to the bathroom, but she'll come up in a minute."

 "Ah, too bad, guess we'll just have to have some alone time." Midori leaned in and Shinichi kissed her without a beat, when he pulled back, as the elevator doors closed, he could have sworn he saw... No, it couldn't have been.

 Kaito, in his own right, was equally confused. He saw Shinichi, far too early, he wasn't presentable, but Shinichi was also making out in an elevator and looked very confused when he looked up and saw Kaito. He needed to talk to Ran, who was, thankfully walking out of the bathroom at that moment. "There you are," he said, grabbing her hand and dragging her toward the elevator. "Sorry about ditching you, but I'm just really nervous," he kept rambling as they got on, "and I really need to talk to you about something because I don't think you gave me the whole truth there," the elevator dinged and he pulled her out and toward her room, "because I just saw Shinichi and-" and there was Ran, sitting in front of the room, but Ran, when he looked behind him, was also being dragged behind him, a surprised look on her face. Kaito sighed, unlocked the door, and walked into the room. The girls walking in silently behind him.

 "Um, hey?" One greeted as if it was a question, he couldn't really tell which one it was, which made him feel better about not realizing that he spent two weeks with a stranger, but he assumed it was Aoko, the real Aoko. He walked over to the bed and flopped face first into a pillow; this might be the weirdest day of his life. "It's nice to see you, too." A weight settled on the bed next to him, and a hand started running through his hair, yeah, definitely Aoko.

 "You have the worst ideas." Kaito gave her an evil look, which made her giggle. He missed her.

 "I thought it was a great idea, so did Ran." He glared at the other girl now, she was an accomplice after all.

 "Hey!" She said, placing her hands on her hips and glaring at him in return, "Hanging out with me wasn't all that bad, mister 'I didn't realize you weren't my best friend.'"

 "We can't all be a detective!" Kaito retorted. "Speaking of, he doesn't know I'm here, does he?" The girls had the gall to look sheepish. "Well, know it makes sense why he was making out with a girl in the elevator. I can't believe you brought me here when he's with his girlfriend!"

 "Fiancée," Aoko said, voice soft.

 "What?"

 "Not his girlfriend, his fiancée."

 "You brought me here, unbeknownst to Shinichi, while he's here with his fiancée? Why on Earth would you think that's a good idea?"

 "Because she is the absolute worst!" Aoko yelled, flopping down next to Kaito. "She's rude, and snobby, and completely wrong for Shinichi! He absolutely can't marry her!" Ran nodded in solidarity.

 "Shinichi is a grown man!" Kaito sat up, hurt by this new revelation." "He can decide who he wants to marry, and I certainly have no say in his decision."

 "What I said back in Paris hasn't changed," Ran spoke up, "I'm not trying to set you up with him, I just want the two of you to make up." Kaito sat quiet for a moment, letting all of this madness settle in.

 "Fine," Kaito finally said, "I don't like how you went about this, but I'm here now, and it won't kill me to just say hi."

 "I'm glad you agree, oh, and Shinichi doesn't know I'm not Ran."

 "Seriously?" Kaito looked sceptical, "You've spent two weeks with him and he never noticed a thing?"

 "Nope, he just thinks Ran is having an identity crisis," Aoko joked, which prompted a "Hey!" from Ran.

 "Ha! The Great Detective has lost his touch!" Kaito burst into a fit of giggles. "Fooled by the great Nakamori Aoko! He'll retire for sure once you tell him."

 "I can't wait to see the look on his face," Aoko giggled too, and soon, the whole room was laughing at how absurd the whole situation was. They calmed down after a solid couple of minutes of laughter. "I think it's time we go clue in the detective."

 Shinichi was getting worried about Ran, he hadn't seen her since she left for the bathroom, and it had been a little over an hour since then. Midori had begged him to come with her to look at the pool, but he was too distracted to really give it any thought. He was probably over thinking the whole thing anyway; the stress must be getting to him, especially considering he saw... Yeah, the stress was definitely getting to him.

 He sighed, looking around the pool; Midori sat down in a lounge chair and said something about ordering a drink. "I'm just going to take a quick walk," he said, not really hearing her reply. He wandered around the edge of the pool when something caught his eye on the other side.

 Shinichi wasn't crazy. It really was him. Here, in Japan, at this hotel, the very same day he was here with the woman he was going to marry. What were the odds? Staring at him in wonder, Shinichi started making his way through the dense crowd toward him, giving out half-hearted 'excuse me's and not watching where he was going, which, of course, meant he fell into the pool.

 There was a splash, and it took Shinichi a second to realize what had happened. He stood up, thankfully it was the shallow end, and wiped the water off of his face. His suit was soaked, and it would be miserable to walk around in for the rest of the day, the light gray now shades darker. Looking up, there he stood. His eyes as mirthful as he remembered, although that was most likely due to what an idiot Shinichi looked like at the moment.

 "Would you like some help, Great Detective?" he asked, one corner of his mouth pulling up just a pinch more than the other. Shinichi stood there, still in the water, just staring at him, before he realized the other was offering a hand to pull him out. Shinichi took it and was soon face to face with him. "Hey," he said, casually, like they hadn't spent the past five years apart with absolutely no contact. Shinichi was just glad he didn't seem angry.

 "Hey, Shinichi answered back, a smile unconsciously making its way onto his face."I think I need a towel." That made him laugh, a soothing, magical sound, like wind chimes on a bright summers day.

 "Yeah, I think you do." He led Shinichi over to a towel stand, throwing one over the detective's head and scrubbing furiously. Shinichi sat on a chair and relaxed as the other worked his magic.

 "It's been a while," he said meekly, glad the towel hid his face. "I haven't seen you in, what, five years?"

 "Just a little bit over, yeah." He stopped scrubbing and brought the towel down to rest on Shinichi's neck. "It's really good to see you, Shinichi."

 "It's good to see you ,too, Kaito." The name felt strange on his tongue, heavy from the disuse. "Congratulations on the upcoming special."

 "You knew about that?"

 "Of course, it's another step closer to your dream. Just because we aren't together anymore doesn't mean I don't support you."

 "I- um, thank you. That means a lot." A light blush dusted his cheeks and Shinichi felt his heart skip a beat. What was he doing? He was engaged now; he shouldn't harbor these kinds of feelings. Kaito made it clear a long time ago that he didn't feel the same way; they just weren't supposed to be a couple.

 "Oh my gosh!" Shinichi looked over to see Midori, she had a drink in one hand and pushed her sunglasses up with the other. "You're Kuroba Kaito! That upcoming magician! I called your manager, like, yesterday to see if you could be the entertainment for my wedding, but he said you were away on personal business. It is such a coincidence that you're here! And you've already met my groom-to-be! In fact, Shinichi, do you know one another?" Her voice was sugar sweet, excitement coloring her features. Shinichi winced; this was going to be awkward.

 "Shinichi! Are you alright!"It was Ran, concern on her features. Great, now he had to introduce Ran to Katio, like confessing he was married to his fiancée wasn't enough, now he had to admit to his best friend that he had gotten married with her knowledge.

 "That looked pretty bad, Shinichi. You aren't hurt, are you?" Ran said, but Ran's lips never moved. From behind Ran, came...Ran.

 When Shinichi fell into the pool, like the oblivious fool he is, Aoko had to hold Ran back from going to check on him. He had fallen in because he was too focused on Kaito, after all. Aoko hadn't planned for them to meet up like this, but having them interact more naturally was definitely the smarter option. It lead to the two of them talking, and, sure, the girls couldn't hear what they were saying, but it looked like it was going well. They weren't arguing, at least. Then, of course, Midori came over and it was time to intervene. Ran ran over to them first, still concerned about Shinichi's well being, and Aoko followed not far behind. The look on Shinichi's face was absolutely priceless, but the mixture of confusion and outrage on Midori's face, doubly so.

 "There are TWO of you?!" She yelled, drawing a few unsavory looks. "Shinichi, why didn't you tell me there are TWO of them?" Shinichi just looked between Aoko and Ran, his "detective" face scrutinizing each of them thoroughly. Finally, he pointed at Ran.

 "You're the real one," was his eloquent answer. The girls shared a look and burst out laughing.

 "Yeah, Shinichi, I'm the real one," Ran replied through her giggles.

 "Shinichi!" Midori whined, "What is going on! Are you pulling some kind of prank on me."

 "No," Shinichi replied, keeping his eyes on the two girls, "but I think one was pulled on me."

 "Ooo, someone got busted," Kaito teased.

 "I think we should go somewhere else. Midori," Shinichi finally turned to his finacee, "You should go, you can't be late to that shoot this evening, I'm just going to grab dinner with Ran and... the others."

 "Okay, Shinichi," Midori huffed, "just make sure you call me tonight." She pulled his chin up so she could give him a deep kiss before she left. Aoko knew she did it just so she could prove to everyone there that she was the one who was engaged to Shinichi, and Aoko had to suppress the urge to roll her eyes. Once she walked away, Shinichi turned his focus back on Ran and herself.

 "Seriously, we need to talk."

 "Good thing I made dinner reservations," Aoko smirked.

 Aoko, ever the schemer, had decided that the best way for the boys to reconnect was to make them have a romantic dinner. So, of course, she reserved a table at the restaurant atop the Beika tower as soon as she learned Kaito and Ran were flying back to Japan. Ran thought Aoko deserved an award for all of the effort she was putting into this thing.

 "Really, Aoko, we could have just gone to a family restaurant. I don't see why you needed to make this such a big event," Kaito whined, looking very embarrassed by the whole situation. Ran and Aoko had rushed to take chairs next to one another, forcing the boys to sit shoulder to shoulder.

 "Because I wanted something fancy," Aoko said, as if it was an excuse she used quite often, and the way Kaito rolled his eyes and accepted it seemed to confirm it.

 "Well, I hope you know that I'm not going to pay for any of this," Shinichi huffed, his arms crossed and just a twinge of annoyance on his face. "And I still want answers; don't think you can get out of this."

 "We know," Aoko said with a roll of her eyes, "Just let us order first and then we'll explain."

 Shinichi sat, annoyed, until the waiter came by and took their order. Ran hated seeing him look so angry, especially when it was with her. She never wanted to hurt his feelings, she genuinely thought she was doing what was best for him, she still did. As soon as the waiter walked away, Shinichi pounced. "Spill, why do you have a doppelganger and how long have I spent with them? And you," he turned to Kaito, "How long have you known about this?" Kaito put his hands up in a "I had nothing to do with this" kind of way".

 "Well, Aoko and I met at a cafe and got to talking. At first we were just surprised at how similar we looked, and then we got to talking. Eventually, I mentioned you and I showed Aoko this picture," Ran said, pulling out the folded up half of the wedding photo. Shinichi took it from her and unfolded it with a gasp.

 "I completely forgot I gave this to you," Shinichi said, his eyes still scanning the picture of his smiling face.

 "And when I saw that, I showed Ran this," Aoko added, handing Shinichi her half of the photo. Shinichi held the two halves together, looking at the complete photo. Kaito leaned in to look as well, and the expression on both of their faces made it clear just how happy a memory the picture held. It reminded Ran of when she and Aoko first saw the whole photo, it was like something had clicked and they knew that the two were perfect complements. Even looking at the two of them now, it seems so natural to see them together that Ran wondered what it would be like to see them as a couple.

 "Knowing that our best friend had hidden something so huge from us, we had to meet the other, so we came up with a plan. I was leaving to meet Kaito in Paris in a week, so we had to work fast."

 "Wait," Kaito interrupted, pulling his focus back to the girls, "You met each other, came up with a plan, and learned to confidently pretend to be one another well enough to fool their childhood best friend in a week?"

 "What, like it's hard?" Ran asked, her voice innocent. Shinichi burst out laughing and Kaito looked adequately flustered. "Anyway, I left for Paris instead of Aoko while Aoko spent time with you. We got to spend a good two weeks together before Aoko called to tell me that you got engaged. At that point I decided it was the best time to tell Kaito who I was and to fly back here."

 "And for the record," Kaito interrupted again, "Ran told me that you had also been informed, I didn't know you didn't know until earlier today."

 "Yes, and we're sorry," Aoko added.

 "So, did you or did you not do all of this so Kaito and I would get back together."

 "Not," Aoko immediately replied, "Ran and I just felt it necessary to know the person our best friend was married to." Aoko said it with a little bite in her voice and the boys had enough sense to look guilty.

 "We wanted too," Shinichi said, "but after the divorce, we didn't think we would see one another again. It didn't seem like it was important."

 "Of course it was important, Shinichi!" Ran looked furious. "You never told me you were dating anyone let alone got married. Why wouldn't you think that would be important? And then you got so sad after what I now know to be the time of your divorce. Shinichi, I was so worried about you and you told me nothing." Angry tears were pooling in Ran's eyes, so she got up from the table to go calm down in the restroom, Aoko hot on her heels, but not after a scathing look at the two very guilty looking boys.

 "Well, that's not how I was hoping the evening would go," Kaito said with a forced laugh in a feeble attempt to lighten the mood. "I think we really messed up, Shinichi."

 "Yeah, we really did."

 "They really are to smart for their own good," Kaito said with another laugh, this one more genuine. "Of course they would pick the restaurant we had our first date at, although I don't think they knew that."

 "It is one hell of a coincidence, especially since this is the same table."

 "You remembered?"

 "Of course I did," Shinichi said with a huff, "I wouldn't forget something like that,"

 "You forgot a lot of other things," Kaito mumbled, taking a sip of water.

 "I know I did, and I am so, so sorry." Shinichi met his gaze, trying to convey just how genuine he was. Kaito let out a sigh and grabbed his hand.

 "I know you are, and I forgive you, I always forgave you. It doesn't mean it didn't hurt."

 "That's why we got divorced."

 "That among other things," Kaito said lightly, "one of which was my constant use of you as a guinea pig for my new tricks."

 "As long as you acknowledge it, I mean, there was one week where you ran at least five by me every day."

 "Aw, you kept track?" Kaito teased.

 "I kept track of all of your tricks, I still have the notebook with all my feedback if you want." Kaito lost his words, he didn't think Shinichi had actually really cared about his magic career.

 "That would be wonderful."

 "I'm glad," Shinichi smiled, "I'll have to give it to you before you fly back to Paris."

 "We'll have to do something nice for them," Kaito said, gesturing to the empty side of the table, "I don't think I would have ever worked up the nerve to talk to you again if they hadn't done this."

 "You're right," Shinichi agreed, "Not that I'm happy about this whole situation, but they did do it with good intentions."

 "Unfortunately, I don't think they will accept any apology under the value of a thousand dollars."

 Everyone parted in good graces for the night, agreeing to meet back up tomorrow morning at Shinichi's house for breakfast.

 Which, of course, was a disaster because Midori just had to be there. Breakfast was a sacred tradition between Ran and Shinichi, they made sure that they met for it at least once a month, and anyone who knew them knew that intruding without an invitation was an egregious sin. When Shinichi opened his door to her, it was obvious that he hadn't invited her, yet he still let her in. This ticked Ran off more than anything else the girl had done.

 "Good morning, everyone!" Midori said with a sugar sweet voice. "I hope you don't mind me joining you! Shinichi told me you guys were meeting up this morning and as his fiancée, I just have to know more about his friends." Ran glanced over at Aoko and Kaito, who were sharing one side of the table, Kaito had a courteous smile on his face while Aoko made no attempt to hide her eye roll.

 "It's a pleasure to see you again Ms. Kyoya," Kaito said, although the formality was strange to Ran's ears. It was clear Kaito didn't feel comfortable around the woman. Midori was, of course, completely oblivious and quickly took the seat across from him, leaning in to his space.

 "Midori," Shinichi said, almost pushing the woman out of Kaito's space with what looked to Ran like a worried look in Kaito's direction. "Kaito is still a bit jet-lagged, try to go easy on him." The smile he gave his fiancée was one he would give a small child, trying to tell them what they were doing was impolite.

 "I was just chatting, Shinichi," Midori wrinkled her nose at him, "I want to know why you would invite a magician to your 'special breakfast', but not your beloved fiancée?" Midori batted her doe eyes at Shinichi with a pout in her lip.

 "It's not that I didn't want to invite you," Shinichi said, averting his eyes from Midori's, a tell Ran recognized as him not telling the complete truth, he probably just forgot about her, "the four of us just have some things we still need to discuss."

 "Well, whatever you need to discuss can be after breakfast," Midori said in a huff, "I am starving, what we are having?"

 Breakfast was dominated by Midori's ceaseless chatter. The topics pertained to things Midori was interested in and the other people only responded when Midori prompted them. They weren't able to get a word in otherwise. After breakfast, as Ran told Aoko, Ran and Shinichi went shopping together, just wandering around a mall or street as they saw fit. And, of course, today was no different. Shinichi was just mentioning this to Midori when Kaito spoke up. "Shinichi, I'm really sorry, but I think it's about time I got going."

 "What?" Shinichi said with a looking like a kicked puppy, although Aoko doubted he himself knew it.

 "You clearly didn't know I was coming, and I don't want to bother you anymore than I already have. I think I could get a flight out soon, so I'm going to get out of your hair."

 "No!" Ran and Aoko stood and shouted at the same time. They shared a look, they knew something like this could happen, so they had made some plans.

 "You can't just tell me no," Kaito crossed his arms, a look of annoyance on his face, "I'm a grown man, I can make decisions for myself."

 "I disagree," Aoko crossed her arms and gave Kaito an equally as annoyed look. "Last time you made a decision without me you ended up leaving the country after having your heart broken."

 "I wasn't heartbroken." Kaito said, a blush rising to his cheeks, as well as a short glance at Shinichi.

 "I agree with Ran," Ran said, her voice falling into Aoko's cadence. The look on the boys' faces told her their plan would work.

 "At least I have Aoko on my side," Aoko said, walking around the table to give Ran a hug.

 "You too playing this game isn't going to stop me from leaving." Kaito said, his eyes darting back and forth, revealing that he doesn't actually know who is who.

 "No," they said in unison, "But us having this will." They held up a passport bearing the name of one Kuroba Kaito, magician extraordinaire.

 "Hey!" Kaito protested, standing up from the table, prompting the girls to hurry up the stairs and into the Kudou library. By the time Kaito caught up with them, he didn't find two girls in the library, he found one. Copy and pasted into an identical person. The clothes, hair, facial features, the girls had perfectly combined their two looks to make it impossible to differentiate between the two. Shinichi and Midori were on Kaito's heels and the looks on their faces made the girls feel all the more confident in their plan. "Give me back my passport." It was a command, and Kaito's voice was clearly angry.

 "Not until you can tell us apart," the girls said.

 "And I would be careful," Aoko smirked, "if you try to pick it off the wrong one, well, I'm not a karate champion for nothing."

 "Shinichi," Kaito turned to the detective, who was still searching the identical twins before him, "Can you please stop this nonsense."

 "I can't," Shinichi replied.

 "What do you mean you can't?"

 "I can't tell them apart."

 "Seriously detective? You could always see through my tricks but you can't tell two girls apart?"

 "I was only able to see through those tricks because I had time to think about it. Your tricks were elaborate, complicated puzzles that I had to take a lot of time to crack, compared to them," Shinichi gave Kaito a smirk, "these amateurs will be nothing."

 And so, it was decided that Shinichi would take the girls shopping in order to more closely study them. Midori, of course, wanted to tag along claiming that she could help. They made their way to a shop lined street that Ran and Shinichi frequent. He probably expected to pick out Ran from how she responded to different shops and items, but shopping habits had been one of the many things the girl's had trained on for their switch. Some things both responded to in a Ran way and others they did like Aoko, ensuring that Shinichi would still be confused.

 Shinichi kept leading them around to different shops, the girls revealing no hint as to who they are, Midori persuading Shinichi to buy something for her, and continuing to the next one for over an hour until Shinichi decided he needed a break. He wandered off to the nearest public restroom, leaving the twins and Midori by themselves. It was quiet for a moment before Midori shot the two a scathing look.

 "I have no idea why the two of you are doing this, it's quite pathetic."

 "I'm sorry," Ran asked, probably just to say something before Aoko could.

 "How you're desperately clinging to these guys? It's pathetic."

 "They're our friends," Aoko steamed.

 "Oh, sweetheart, you can drop the act in front of me, I mean, with how famous, and no doubt rich, Kuroba is, it's no wonder why you would so desperately try to keep him in the country. I'm sure you could just make him pay you for his passport. I'm still not quite sure why he's here and why Shinichi knows him, but it sure did seem like he wanted to leave. And as for Shinichi, well, I get it, he's quite the meal ticket, but I already have him in my pocket, so I'd really appreciate it if you girls would leave him alone."

 "I've known him since preschool," Ran said in a cold voice, "I'm not going to stop seeing my best friend just because he got married."

 "Honey, you need to understand," Midori gave Ran doe eyes, as if they could sugarcoat all of the vitriol coming out of her mouth, "Alongside such a high-class item like Shinichi, you're just an eyesore. I mean, you aren't rich or famous like the family Shinichi comes from, you just detract from his value."

 "Oh? I think the idea of increasing someone's 'value' by being associated with them is nonsense, but if I did, I definitely think I add more worth than you," Ran said with enough bite that it made Aoko shiver, "What do you think, Shinichi?"

 It was then that Aoko noticed Shinichi walking back over to their group, hanging up his cell and something Aoko hadn't seen before stirring in his eyes. Ran also produced her cellphone, showing the fact that she had just been on a call with Shinichi.

 "Darling!" Midori cried, already falling into character, "Can you believe these nasty girls would manipulate me like that? You know I would never say anything so horrid." Midori fluttered her lashes at him as if they would cast him into a trance, but the look of pure anger on his face held fast.

 "Midori, I could handle you only thinking of me as some kind of get-rich-quick or just some arm candy, but the fact you would try to pry the people who actually care about me out of my life is the line."

 "I would never! Shinichi, you can't think that I-"

 "I know exactly the kind of person you are. The only time you're being sincere is when you talk about money or about your career. Every time you attempt to compliment me or look interested in what I'm talking about, you twirl your hair and look down left. Quite a simple tell, really, you're far too used to relying on your looks to be able to have a good poker face." Midori's face was frozen in shock as she tried to start a coherent sentence. "I'm calling off the engagement." And with that, in the classic Kudou dramatic fashion, he motioned for the girls to follow and they left.

 Kaito was waiting just inside when they came back. He smiled when he saw Shinichi, but it quickly turned into a frown when the passport thieves trailed in after him, then it became slightly confused. "Where's Ms. Kudou-to-be?"

 "Gone," the girls said in unison, completely on accident this time.

 "What?" Kaito looked to Shinichi for answers.

 "I called off the engagement, it turns out I have and always will be terrible with relationships."

 "Oh, Shinichi," Kaito said in a soft voice, resting his hand on Shinichi's shoulder, "It's not your fault she was completely awful and superficial."

 "So you knew too?"

 "You didn't?"

 "I guess I just tried to overlook it," Shinichi sighed, flopping down on the couch."

 "Well, there's your problem," Kaito followed him over and sat on the arm of the sofa, gently running his fingers through Shinichi's hair, "You always try to find the best in people, even if it means overlooking the worst in them. I mean that's what you did with me."

 "Kaito, that wasn't the 'worst' in you!" Shinichi bolted upright, "I knew you had your reasons and you wouldn't-"

 "AHEM!" Aoko coughed, gaining the attention of the boys who had clearly forgotten where they were. "You still haven't won."

 "My passport!" Kaito suddenly remembered "Well... I don't think I can figure it out quite yet...maybe...I should stay a while?" Kaito asked, looking toward Shinichi.

 "Yeah, I think you should." The smile on Shinichi's face was more at ease than Ran had seen in a long, long time. And the look that passed between Ran and Aoko was one of knowing.

 Months later the same look passed between them as they stood on opposite sides of an altar. It only took a few weeks for Kaito and Shinichi to start dating again, with better understanding of who they were as people and how best to navigate a relationship, and only a few months after that they got engaged. And of course, this time, they actually asked Ran and Aoko to be their Maids of Honor. And so that's where Ran and Aoko stood while their two best friends walked down the aisle, in matching suits. Aoko had fussed at them that they had to wear something different or no one would be able to tell them apart. This, of course only made them laugh. And as the two reached the altar and looked at their best friends, they had the absolute audacity, fuss with their hair and switch sides, making everyone in attendance laugh at their antics and the two Maids of Honor groan at the knowledge that they would never let them live down the best plan in all of history.