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You take the high road, and I'll take the low road
And I'll be in Scotland a'fore you
For me and my true love will never meet again...
--Loch Lomond
"Go," he pointed towards the main road that led out of the alley they were in. It went straight into the chaos that had been his heist. He hated to send them out there, but he knew what was coming and if she was still here-
"Kaito!"
He turned and found it in him to let his face go cold. This went beyond his normal masks that Kuroba and KID hid behind or any poker face. He needed her to leave. Now.
"Aoko don't argue with me now. Just go"
Of course telling her to do anything would only end in more obstinance. She pounded her foot in fury, "No! Kaito, they were shooting at you!" Leave Aoko to actually care about him. Him, the man who she hated. This was supposed to be easy.
"They always shoot at me. I need you to go! Now!" He grabbed her shoulders, turned her around, and gave her a gentle push towards the opening.
Which worked exceedingly well for her to turn right back around, look straight up at him, and yell straight into his face, "No! Aoko knows you'll do something stupid!"
He was desperate. He couldn’t lose her. He couldn’t let her get caught up in this, not now, not after everything they’d been through. He looked around for anything else, and there… there it was. That idiot of a detective was still standing over watching the whole scene play out. What the hell did he think he was going to do? Arrest him in the middle of this? They'd all be dead in that case. Time to switch to a new tactic.
"Dammit! Hakuba Get. Her. Out. Of. Here."
"Kuroba…"
He cursed. The boy wasn't going to do it, and he didn't dare risk hitting her with sleeping gas and throwing her at him. There were far too many risks just now, "I swear to God Hakuba, if you don't get out of here now I'll see some way to haunt you until the end of your days.”
"Kaito he's not going to-"
"Kuroba you need to-"
Kaito wondered if maybe he could just kill them both and be done with it. Oh right, except he had this thing against hurting people, which was how he ended up in the whole situation in the first place. "Bloody detectives … If you care about her at all you will get her the hell out of here Now !"
Funny how something changed in the boys eyes. Must've finally gotten it through his skull that no, he was not joking around. Yes this was serious. Yes people were dying just outside the alley. Yes if she stayed she likely wasn’t getting out of this alive.
“Fine. Aoko-chan let's do as he says. Come on…."
"Kaito's going to do something stupid! He's going to try to lead them away from Aoko! Hakuba you can't! You…"
"Take the main exit. They won't suspect you and her, not together at least and hopefully they won’t want to risk anymore witnesses. There's enough of a mess you two should blend in fine. I'll take the back way-" Well… sort of. He knew the room was surrounded, and there was no way out. One wrong move and they were all dead, and if they saw him with them-
"Kaito!" Why did the idiot girl have to be so intuitive? And why couldn't she have reacted like she was suppose to- oh right stupid snipers.
"Alright… I'll still be the one to throw you behind bars Kuroba-" said Hakuba drily, but his eyes met Kaito’s with a firm understanding.
Well at least someone still had their common sense.
".... Get her out safe alright?" He paused for a moment and then added under his breath, "And take care of her alright?" She could take that anyway she wanted. He prayed he could trust the detective. If there had to be one thing said about him, it was his overbearing sense of honor. That should mean something at least, when all was said and done.
"Kaito what are you say-" Oh right she was still there and conscious. Why was she so perceptive again? Well so long as she got out.
"Come on Aoko-chan-" Hakuba tried to maneuver the girl towards the exit.
Of course that was before the girl grabbed onto Kaito like a leech. In any other situation he might have been saying a prayer of thanks, to have Aoko wrapped around him even after knowing the truth, but right now it was the last thing he needed.
"Let go of me Aoko…" She had to. If they decided to come out now--
"Aoko is not letting you do this."
Dammit. Like this she was going to…
He couldn't let that happen.
Kaito tried to pull away, "Let me-"
Oh excellent timing for a kiss. Just great. Full moon. Stars. Mood lighting from the street lamps. Overarching sense of tragedy. His rival turning away to give them privacy. It was just like some cheesy romance novel.
His hands tightened on her arm, his lips pressed against hers, his heart pounding and God he wanted nothing more than to savor it and show her what it truly would be like to be kissed by him.
Except they didn't have the time-
He pushed her away.
"….Aoko, please."
Well maybe the kiss had shaken him up more then he knew. He didn’t want this. Why did it have to end like this?
A dying man’s wish. Bah.
"Kaito…."
He dare not look at her face knowing the tears he’d see staining her cheeks.
"Take care of her Hakuba. Please."
"Kaito!"
Hakuba grabbed her arm to pull her away.
"Good night Aoko," it was a firm statement. No arguing allowed. "Go home and get some sleep yeah?" He put everything he had into a smile. A true smile, one that she might believe.
"Hakuba don't you dare let him-" she was frantic. He knew she wasn't falling for it. Well he'd tried.
"Hakuba if you follow the main exit you'll be fine. Just... make sure you get out as quickly as possible and get her home. I'll take the back way, I know a shortcut I should be able to manage. Either way, I'll be out of this mess before you two will be, I'm sure-'' Long before... if things went as he suspected.
"I won't let you do this Kaito!"
Well it was too late to stop him now…
"Aoko? I-” What did he say? Was it selfish? Maybe but, “I love you. I do. So please… just go with Hakuba alright? It'll be okay," he said meeting her eyes.
"Come home Kaito, please."
Thank goodness Hakuba had a stronger hold than it looked. He hadn't suspected the detective could hold her back.
He couldn’t lie to her. Not this time. Instead he looked to the detective, "Take care Hakuba. You and her both alright?"
"I will Kuroba. I promise. Take care," there was a flash of something in Hakuba’s eyes. At least the situation hadn’t gone completely over the detective’s head, and perhaps he could rest assured blondie would finish bringing them down.
"Let’s do as he asks Aoko."
“Kaito I… Aoko loves you!” she said with one last turn in his direction.
He closed his eyes, wondering why the words felt like shards rather than warmth.
He waited, counting down a full minute after he made sure they left before her took the only escape left to him.
He'd gone less than fifty feet when he came to the end of the road.
Stepping out in the open, he wondered if they'd really needed that many snipers.
He guessed it was only irony that Jackal was the one who stood center front holding a gun to his chest trigger ready.
"Well damn. Brought out the whole brigade eh? Looks like I was ri-"
A pulled trigger.
He never finished his words.