#this might not be everyone's tea tho hoho

[momocicerone]

i walked with you once (1/?)

also on ffnet | ao3

Fandom: Detective Conan / Case Closed

Summary: When Ai wakes up, she finds herself crying. The warmth on her left hand still lingers from her dream, and she clutches to it before it gets lost in her memories. [Soulmates AU] [Kimi no na wa inspired] [ShinAi] [CoAi] [ShinShi]

Pairing: Kudo Shinichi | Edogawa Conan & Miyano Shiho | Haibara Ai

Genre and Rating: Romance & Supernatural | T

A/N: This is going to be a long one, but you already can see that. I promised myself that I wouldn’t start off more multichapters, especially when Chasing Clouds is still ongoing and I find myself struggling so much for a final chapter, even when I know where it leads. I have, to no one’s surprise, a handful of multichapters I’ve put on hold since 2016 because I just cannot finish CC. Starting a complete new project when I have so many in line ( and many of them fleshed out, outlined, and even drafted chapters for) honestly feels like betrayal (towards myself AND the few readers who still remain) and downright dumbassery. But this story has hit me with the strength of a thousand suns and I just can’t let it die, just as I’ve let all my other wips die. I’ve written, in the past, about different topics— Into your gravity was a story about (un)balance and the dangers of unconditional love; chasing clouds is about the chase, about finding out what you want and who you are; bloom was supposed to be about healing; drops of jupiter, with a premise much similar to this, is a story about finding hope and going against fate… and this, shall I ever finish it, this is going to be story about chances. Fair warning: in order to make this story work, I need to sacrifice a few things, namely, there’s going to be many secondary characters (by my standards lol) who are going to be canon divergent. Ages, relationships and placements will be changed, at that. I won’t write this in the same flowery prose/POV narrative style as CC, because it would take forever, and it’s frankly too hard for me— I don’t want to get stuck again. Most importantly, if you’ve read my previous works and you’re here for the coai/shinshi banter… well… this is not the fic for you. They will have bare minimum interaction, if any at all, throughout this fic (don’t be fooled by the first chapter). Please don’t complain about it in the review section— you literally have three dozen other fics from me you can choose to read instead. So, you were warned :’3

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The silver cherry blossom shimmers under the blinking starlight, calling to the shy blue moon hidden away behind copious clouds. The night is silent as the air is cold, and it carries the scent of freshly-cut grass with every footprint that the girl leaves on the snow peppered road. She doesn’t look up, for she knows it’s pointless — there can never be one without the other, even when one is already there.

Her hand reaches out to graze the cold tree bark.

“You’re late.” The boy says, more concerned than reproachful. It brings a quick smirk on her face.

“You’re early.” She retorts, and although she can’t see his face— or remember it, at that— she swears that he rolls his eyes in the most exasperated fashion.

“I thought you weren't coming.” He reaches out for her hand, and there’s a brief second when she ponders whether she should pull away. Eventually, she lets him.

Is this the first time? Have they been doing that for a while now? 

If only she could remember.

“Final exams are in two weeks.” She explains, trying not to get distracted by how the warmth of his palm seeps through her fingers. “Some of us want an education, you know. We can’t all be trust-fund kids.”

“Oh, that you do remember.” He huffs, unable to hide a laugh. “But this ,” his lips press against the back of her hand, leaving a sound kiss that almost makes her gasp. “This, you don’t.”

“I— I’m sorry.” She’s grateful that she can’t see his face, because she honestly wouldn’t be able to look at him without combusting had they met in person. “How can you tell?”

“You hesitated.”

“You’re quite observant.”

“Only when it comes to you.”

“And quite the smooth talker, too! I don’t know if I should trust you.”

“Too bad, then, because you’re stuck with me and the stupid tree for eternity.”

“ ‘Eternity’ is a stretch. There are no recorded cases of soulmates transcending multiple lifetimes, you know. There isn’t even actual evidence these shared lucid dreams determine soulmates are even a thing.”

An amused smile spreads over his face, “Are you seriously talking science to me, your life-long dream partner, under the magic glowing tree?”

“That’s what I’m pursuing. I’m going to become a scientist.” So she can figure this out. So she can find out if he’s real.

She straightens her back, ready to stand her ground shall he make fun of her. Instead, his chest swells with pride and the grip of his hand tightens. 

“And I’m going to find you. Wherever you’re in the world, I’ll find you.”

His words prompt a coiling in her chest that makes breathing that much difficult, and her fingers move to brush his bangs, searching his eyes in the shadows. “How would you know it’s me?” She smiles with quivering lips, nonetheless genuinely. “You can’t even remember my name.”

The boy places her hand against his cheek, turning his face to leave a kiss on her palm, “When I see you, I’ll know it’s you.”

I remember what you feel like.

A gust of wind blows by, ripping rosy petals off the glowing tree. They mix with the falling snow in a flurry of silvers and reds before fading into the darkest night.

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  When Ai wakes up, she finds herself crying. The warmth on her left hand still lingers from her dream, and she clutches to it before it gets lost in her memories.

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  “Let me guess, he.. um,” Ayumi taps her pencil thoughtfully on her chin, looking excited, “He confessed to you?”

“I wouldn’t remember that, Yoshida-san.” 

Her classmate looks discouraged as she flops down on her desk, “But what do you remember, Ai-chan? There must be something, a clue!”

An azure-winged magpie lands by the window, catching the girls’ attention. Ai watches, mesmerized, how its bluish feathers shimmer with an iridescent glow under the pale winter sun.

A blurred memory flashes in her head.

“Cobalt.” She whispers as the bird takes flight, flapping its wings into the greyish sky.

“Heh?” Ayumi utters, peeking curiously from her desk.

Ai turns to face her friend, beaming softly as her cheeks heat up. “It’s the color of his eyes.”

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“Have you tried tracking down the tree?”

“Yes, Hattori.” Shinichi deadpans. “Four hundred sixteen down, a gazillion more to go.”

His friend grimaces. “She’s already rubbing on you, and you haven’t even met her.”

“I have met her. I know everything about her. I just— I don’t remember.”

“Not one thing? Come on, think of something!”

“She’s smart and funny and wants to be a…. a—” Shinichi ruffles the back of his hair, frustrated, “I can’t recall, but someone important.”

“Like the mayor?”

“Maybe.” Shinichi ponders. “Stop asking me things I don’t know!”

Heiji throws his hands in the air, eyes rolling back. He props one elbow on his desk, resting his chin on the palm of his hand as he watches absentmindedly the baseball team practice outside his window. “Then what’s the plan, are you just gonna dream about her for the rest of your life?”

“No, I’m going to find her.”

Heiji snorts, half amused, half incredulous, “Good luck with that, lovebird.” He says as he gives Shinichi an over-enthusiastic pat in the back.

Shinichi suddenly feels as if the air has been cut off his lungs. 

“What did you just say!?”

“H-Huh—?” Heiji quails when he finds himself pinned to his chair, Shinichi’s hands pressing down on his shoulders. Confused and frankly a bit taken aback, he ventures, “ G-Good luck…? ”

Shinichi realizes too late that he might have come off a little too frantic. His fist is curled so tightly around Heiji’s blazer that wrinkles are starting to form around the royal blue fabric, and his eyes shine with the same crazed glint that overcomes him when he’s about to crack a case. He lets go of his friend hastily, seemingly embarrassed by his own reaction.

“Not that— what did you call me?”

“ Lovebird? ” Heiji hesitates, looking at his friend as if he’d totally lost his sanity. “I’m sorry?”

“No, it’s not like that!” Shinichi wants to laugh, but he decides he’s already made himself look enough like a lunatic for the day. “There’s— you’re right! There’s a bird!”

“A bird?”

“Yes, in the tree! You know, in the dream.”

“So,” Heiji presses two fingers against his temple, his expression going from startled to complete deadpan, “You just had an eureka moment because you realized birds live in trees—“

“I didn’t just realize , I remembered it!”

“Okay.” Heiji exhales deeply, his palms brought together in a pleading gesture, “Kudo, you need to go outside more.”

“I am outside! ”

“Yeah... No . You’re still dreaming.” He insists, a preoccupied grimace on his face, “Wake up, man. You can’t let these dreams become your entire life. Seriously.”

“I won’t .” Shinichi says dismissively. “I just need to figure it out. So I can—“

“ —find her .” They say simultaneously, Heiji shaking his head disapprovingly.

“Yes, I know. You’ve said this a kazillion times already. Oi, don’t take this the wrong way, bro, but It’s becoming an obsession.”

“Come on, don’t you want to figure it out? We’re detectives, no? It’s what we do.”

“ Ha… ” Heiji utters, brows drawn together, “Not like this, no.”

Shinichi shrugs, but says nothing in return. Heiji sideglances him, unsure if he should push any further. He decides distraction is the better approach. “So, are you coming to Karaoke after class?”

Shinichi makes a face that’s something between apologetic and distressed, “Eh, sorry I can’t. I have stuff to do.”

“What kind of stuff?” Heiji raises his brows, skeptical. His face falls when he realizes — “Oh, Jeez. Don’t tell me you’re goin’ to look up this damn bird. You’re out of your mind, Kudo. That’s it. You’re fucked in the head.”

“Fuck off.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake. Just forget it!” Heiji pleads, “There’s no fucking way you’re going to find it. I know this. You know this. Come on, just come to the damn karaoke…. Mouri is coming too.”

Shinichi’s expression, which had been reserved at best, now turns ice cold — murderous , even.

Heiji makes a surrendering gesture, “Fine, fine! It’s kind of a waste, is all I’m saying.”

The detective of the East disagrees, but offers silence as his only argument.

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“Happy Birthday Ayumi-chan!” Mitsuhiko and Genta sing in unison.

“Happy Birthday, Yoshida-san.” 

“Thank you so much, guys!” Ayumi’s hands are on her cheeks, and she beams so brightly her eyes start glistening with joy. “Ai-chan, this cake is beautiful! ”

“I’m glad you like it.”

“Are you kidding? I love it!”

“H-Haibara-san — !” Mitsuhiko almost chokes in thin air, so flustered his face matches with the rosy wallpaper in the room, “Would you make one for my birthday, too?”

Before Ai has a chance to reply, Genta chimes in, “ Oi, if you two get one, I want one too!” 

Ai can’t help a chuckle, “Is this really the time?”

“OH CRAP!” Mitsuhiko suddenly realizes his faux pas, and starts spluttering apologies, “I’m so sorry, Ayumi-chan! CAKE!  Let’s light up the candles!”

“I’m trying!” Genta panics, also hectic as he struggles with the lighter. “This thing is broken!”

“Let me check. Give it to me.” Ai takes the lighter and tries, unsuccessfully, to make it  work.  “Hm… you’re right, it’s broken. We’ll need another one.”

“I’ll call service.” Genta offers, already reaching out for the glowing button panel on the wall, but Ai makes a hand gesture for him to wait.

“It's a busy hour, they’ll take forever. It’d be faster if I go get one.” 

“Eh? Where from, Ai-chan?” Ayumi peeps.

Ai tilts her head, smirk on her face as she’s already halfway out the door, “Well, it’s Karaoke. Someone’s bound to smoke.”

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“Kudo, are you coming or what?” Heiji doesn’t even bother masking the frustration in his voice when he’s finally able to dial through his best friend’s phone. He huffs when he hears the reply from the other side of the line, “Seriously…? Alright… alright . I think you’re crazy, but suit yourself.”

“Let me guess — ”

“Don’t start, Suzuki.”

“—The idiot is not coming.”

Kazuha laughs, “I think she just ended it.”

“Sonoko-chan!” Ran reprimands her friend, but the heirless just shrugs innocuously.

“But am I right or am I right?”

Heiji rolls his eyes, “You’re right, Ojou-sama, as always.”

“See?” The girl flips her hair, leaning back on the couch as she looks pleased with herself.

“Well, we should start without him, then.” Kazuha, who couldn’t care less, busies herself with the arduous task of filling the playlist.

“Urgh.” Heiji laments, “Surrounded by girls…”

“Oi!”

“Hey!” 

“That means you’re in luck today, stop whining!”

Before Heiji has a chance to reply or be mercilessly attacked by his friends, there’s a knock on the door, and Sonoko, who’s closest to the exit, stands up to answer it. Heiji sighs in relief, grateful that Kudo had decided to come rescue him from the hoard of lioness surrounding him.

Except it isn’t Kudo.

Standing on the booth door is, to Heiji’s dismay, yet another girl. Her plaid Kohnan High uniform stands out from his classmate’s royal blue, but that’s not the only thing he finds unusual about her — for starters, her chin-length hair is a distinctive shade of strawberry blonde and her peculiar set of dull jade eyes suggest foreign heritage. Her posture is straight, much like Sonoko’s, and there’s a certain air of haughtiness in the way she holds her chin high, swiftly scanning the room with her eyes before a polite smile comes across her face.

“I’m sorry to bother you, but I was wondering if you might have a lighter I can borrow? We’re celebrating my friend’s birthday and ours doesn’t seem to work.”

Sonoko huffs, “A lighter? Do we look like hooliga —”

“Sonoko-chan!” Ran intervenes again, this time hurrying by her friend’s side as she shoves her away from the door. Her hands start rummaging through her school bag. “Yes, I have one, actually. Hold on.”

“Eh? What are you doing with a lighter, Ran-chan?” Kazuha chirps, her interest piqued as the first song starts playing in the background, totally forgotten. 

“I’m keeping them away from my dad.” Ran explains, her tone apologetic. Her brows draw together as she struggles to find the lighter among the organized mess of her stationery. “Last time he tried to light a cigarette on the stove he burned his mustache, and now he just rather wait for his lighter.”

 “Won’t he just get a new one when you take them away?” Heiji laughs.

Ran smirks back at him, “Well, they keep mysteriously disappearing . And he’s got a very short fuse. Oh , found it!”

The brunette hands over the plastic lighter to the new girl, grinning widely as she accepts it with a polite bow. “Thank you very much, I’ll return it to you right away. We’re just in the booth next to you.”

Holding her palms out, Ran shakes her head reassuringly. “Oh, don’t worry about it. You can keep it, please. You’d be doing me a favor if I don’t have to bring it back. See, I still have like fifteen of these hidden everywhere — it has become a safety hazard.”

“In that case—”

“Haibara-san!” A fleckled boy suddenly appears behind the strawberry blonde girl, panting as if he ran a mile instead of just walking across the hallway. “Haibara-san, what are you doing?”

“Tsuburaya-kun,” The girl called Haibara smiles placidly, holding the lighter for him to see, “I got us the lighter.”

“I-Is that so?” With a slight stutter, the boy not-so-subtly drags Haibara to stand behind him and takes a swift bow, “Thank you so much for your help .”

And with that, he takes her away to their booth, mumbling a distinctive Haibara-san, you shouldn’t talk to strangers! that escapes no one’s ears.

“You’re welcome!” Sonoko shouts iratedly, shutting the door close. “Freaking weirdos. Come on, Ran.”

As they sit down to choose more songs to play, Shinichi’s incoming text notification glows on Ran’s phone, grabbing her attention. She flicks her screen on with one sweep of her thumb.

Have fun without me , the text reads.

Ran sighs. 

Well, what else is there to do otherwise?

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. A/N: Fun facts! 1) Kohnan High is Higo’s canon high school and i have zero idea what their uniforms look like lol. 2) this is actually a discarded idea for coai zine and i’m so glad i get to share it with you. [shakes piggy bank] i don’t get paid for this so comments are extremely appreciated!