Memories {Oumasai/Saiouma}

~ 19 ~ Stay With Me Kichi

"Saihara... I think we should break up."

"Kokichi? That's a lie... right?" He stopped hugging me, pulling away to look me in my eyes, to which I looked away.

I shook my head. "I'm sorry... but it's not. Not this time." I could feel the tears threatening to escape from my eyes, I didn't want to do this but I'd been thinking about it a lot lately and, in the end, this was for him and his wellbeing. My heart fractured when Shuichi looked down at the ground and I noticed a tear drop from his face.

"Is it... something I've done?" His voice was so shaky. I desperately wanted to hold his hand, to hug him and tell him that everything will be okay, but I couldn't.

"No. It's me. I don't want to hurt you... and I'm sure you know that I'm going to die soon. This way..." I trailed off, not knowing how to continue my thoughts without hurting Shuichi more. He hates me now, doesn't he?

Suddenly I was pulled into another embrace, except this one was tight, like a parent trying to stop their loved child from running away. "Kichi... you aren't going to die okay? I won't let that happen! We... we will find the killer, we will stop people from dying."

"And what if you can't?" My voice was so monotone as I spoke yet I was filled with guilt and sorrow as I listened to Shuichi's hurt tone and felt my shoulder slowly dampen from his tears.

"I won't let that happen. I promise." Was all he said as he continued to hold me. I started to realise how much he cared. He doesn't want to lose me. He loves me, he really loves me as much as I love him. I'm sorry Shuichi.

"I love you Shu... I'm sorry for saying that. I guess I let my though-" Shuichi cut me off with a kiss, not one filled with lust and desire, but one of love and passion. I wrapped my arms around his neck as he wrapped his around my waist, deepening the kiss.

We stayed like that for a minute with me finally breaking the kiss for air as Shuichi rested his forehead against mine. "I love you Kokichi. Everyone has their down moments, and I'm here to stick by you in every single one. I'm always going to be by your side okay?" I couldn't help the tears of joy pour down my face as I sobbed, grinning like a madman. "Did I say something wrong?" 

"No!" I laughed and squeezed Shuichi. "Just the opposite in fact!" Shuichi laughed with me.

"I'm glad babe." My face flushed at the pet name, we don't usually use them so it was slightly... embarrassing? We held each other for a few minutes in a comfortable silence, our love for each other radiating around the room.

"Do you wanna g-go on a d-date?" He looked away from me in embarrassment, breaking the silence. "It'll help take your mind off things."

I smiled, I'd always wanted to ask him on another date but it was difficult when both of us were working all the time, and the fact that I was such a wreck when it came to relationships. "Let's go!"

*~*~*

We were hand in hand, walking in the water that just touched the waterlogged sand, which felt nice and cool on my feet. 

"Hey... Kichi?" I hummed, looking up at him and swinging our hands.

"What's up Shu~? Don't tell me you want to do something naughty to little, innocent me in a public place like this~?" I loved teasing him, he always gave the most adorable and hilarious reactions. 

"Sh-shut up that's not what I was going to say!" He used his free hand to try and pull his hat down over his face before realising he had left without it. "I just wanted to say... I love you. More than anything." Now it was my turn to blush. 

"W-well. I love you more!" I shouted, trying to hide the embarrassment now flowing through my head. He laughed at my response and planted a kiss on my cheek. 

The date was really nice. There was barely anyone around which made it feel like it was just me and Shuichi in our surrounding world, but we did have the occasional reminder of other human life passing us on their own walks. The morning was accompanied by a lovely, cool breeze and dim sunlight, a slight tinge of orange throughout the sky. The sunlight against Shuichi's face made his eyes shine like gold, more than they usually did.

Dipping my hand in the paper-thin water, I flicked it in Shuichi's face. "Oh? Are we playing this game now?" A playful smirk crept on his face as he went into the water up to his ankles, getting his pants slightly wet, as he kicked water into me. I went further towards him, reaching down and throwing a good chunk of water into his chest. We both laughed as we got into our childish water fight.

Shuichi grabbed my wrist and pulled me towards him, which I let him do since I assumed he was going to hug me or something sweet again like he usually did. My assumptions were soon proven incorrect as Shuichi shifted to the side, pushing me into the knee-level water. I sat up spluttering, coughing up sea water as Shuichi stood over me and laughed. I reached up and tugged his arm, bringing him crashing into the water next to me, which he seemed prepared for as he didn't need to cough an entire ocean out of his system when he sat up.

We stared at each other for a few seconds, not saying anything before suddenly bursting out in laughter together. Shuichi stood up and helped me up, leading us to the sand as we continued our walk in our now waterlogged clothes and hair. I glanced at him to see him staring at me.

"Take a photo it'll last longer~" I teased for the hundredth time that morning.

"I- I wasn't- I was just wondering..." He stuttered, but what he said had me intrigued. 

"Wondering about what we can do when we get home~?" I knew damn well he wasn't thinking anything dirty, we had both come to an agreement to not do anything of that nature with each other until we had been dating at least a few months. Despite my outward appearance, I was perfectly fine with the rule.

"N-no! It's just, your hair." My hair? Do I look ugly?  "How is it still curly when it's wet?" Oh. It was a common thing my hair did. Since I never took are of it, my hair stuck out as if it were floating, like an anime character's in a way, but when it got wet it never fully became straight, it just looked like more realistic curls.

"The same reason your ahoge still sticks up!" I used Shuichi's shoulders to try and reach his ahoge. He leant down to give me easier access for me to play with it as I patted it down, watching it spring back up into place. He lets me play with his ahoge a lot, it was surprisingly fun, I was like a baby with car keys jingling in front of their face. 

"Come on Kichi, we should head back, our clothes are soaked." I groaned and clung onto his arm as we started walking back home. I'm sad our date's ending, but it isn't like we'll never go on one again... right?