1Daybreak
By Crystal Snowflakes
Summary: He holds her hand and the future looks a little brighter.
Ai knew she was having a dream—a nightmare.
She had had the same one for years.
It always started the same—a blindfold was covering her eyes and if she tried, she could still feel the rough texture of the fabric pressed against her eyelids, the coarse rope digging deeply into her wrists, the wet warmth trickling down her face. The smell of her own blood intermingled with the unmistakable scent of rusted metal from the warehouse and all she could focus on was the way her heart pounded in panic as she realized she wasn't going to get out of this alive.
That she was finally going to run out of time.
That she would never see him again.
Except what was supposed to happen next didn't happen, because she heard the loud, jarring sounds of a familiar snore and she felt herself coming out of unconsciousness—she felt like she could finally breathe easily again.
The unfamiliar sound of birds chirping filled the air and she kept her eyes closed as she took a deep breath to enjoy the melody. She could hear the tree branches swaying and leaves rustling as the wind blew and it was only a few moments later that she realized where she was. Cracking her eyes open, the beautiful shades of red and orange filtered through the thin white cloth of the tent.
The professor was snoring just a few meters away, while the other three children—teenagers now, really—were sprawled inside their own sleeping bags. The bedroll next to her was empty.
A yawn escaped her lips as she stretched her arms before she threw on the hoodie that she had purposefully left next to her. It was chilly in the mornings and the kids were crazy to even think about camping when it was nearing winter, but she had to admit that she had missed them. They didn't see each other nearly as much as when they were younger anymore, which, she had to admit, was probably better for them—she was sure the amount of corpses they saw had decreased significantly.
Stifling another yawn, she unzipped the tent before crawling out, slipping her feet into a pair of boots.
The fire had already been started and as she approached, Conan handed her her grey enamel mug wordlessly. Rubbing her eyes tiredly, she murmured a thanks before nestling herself in the empty camping chair next to his and took the cup from his hand—the steaming mug of instant coffee flooded her palms with warmth.
"Nightmare?" He asked quietly, his voice hoarse and raspy with sleep held just a tint of concern.
"Maybe," she responded offhandedly. "You?"
They sat in silence and for a moment, she didn't think he was going to answer her. But then he chuckled. "Maybe."
A wry smile crossed her face before she took a sip of the barely tolerable coffee.
They had a clear view of the blazing sunrise—her gaze studied the way the faint tones of purple and pink weaved together with the crimson light of the sun, puffy clouds reflecting the same amber tint. Her eyes fluttered closed sleepily and she had almost dozed off in her chair when she heard his voice again.
"I dreamt that I couldn't save you," he said in a low, regretful tone and her chest lurched slightly in response as she turned towards him, studying his face in the dancing flames. He was staring into the fire intently with a rare unguarded expression on his face and she felt her heart stutter in response—the fact that he never hesitated to show this side of him to her caused her to feel guilt because she knew she was not worthy of his trust.
She knew he had vivid nightmares—had known for years. And yet, it was the first time he had openly shared what exactly his nightmare had been about, not that she hadn't been able to guess. But she had always thought that it was because he had lost a part of himself by saving her that day—not because he couldn't save her.
Her grip tightened around the cooling mug slightly and she let out a breath, white mist puffing out. "I had the same dream," she admitted with a murmur. "Except you always take the bullet for me, and I always wish you hadn't come for me."
Conan rolled his eyes before he looked sideways towards her. "Even after all these years, Haibara, you think so little of yourself."
She shrugged slightly before looking away and taking another sip—uncomfortable with where the conversation was heading, she changed its direction. "Hard not to, when growing up next to a famous highschool detective with a big head and everyone just fawns over him."
"Oi," he muttered with an embarrassed blush colouring his cheekbones. "You've got your own little group of followers." But then he cleared his throat and when he didn't say anything more, she looked over at him with a raised eyebrow. An indecipherable look came over his face as his lips quirked up just barely. "You mean a lot to me, Haibara."
"Like how much a dog means to a flea?" she asked dryly, but she couldn't control the pink hue that formed on her cheeks, nor could she stop the warmth from flooding her face. Breaking eye contact, she focused her gaze on the clouds again.
He snorted. "Don't be difficult."
She couldn't help the small smirk from crossing her lips. "They say every sunrise is a new beginning."
The corners of his mouth curved upwards in amusement. "Everyday is just a continuation of our lives. It's what we decide to do with it that matters the most." He hesitated for a brief second before he held his hand out to her.
With slight confusion, she tilted her head sideways before she placed her hand on his. And then he threaded his fingers through hers, his eyes studying the way she reacted before his hand squeezed hers gently.
She could hear nothing but the sound of her blood rushing through her ears as she tried to comprehend what he was doing.
"Is this okay?" He asked with slight reluctance, his cerulean eyes glowing fondly at her.
She swallowed the lump in her throat as a small, shuddering breath escaped her lips. Her admiration for him had never lessened and she could remember when they first met—she had believed his ideology to be naive and childish. And yet throughout the years, he had followed through his belief with reverence, regardless of what life threw at him—what her mistakes cost him. She had never dreamed—never dared to hope—in spite of what she felt for him over the years that he would return her feelings.
And yet, here he was, with her hand clasped into his.
"Edogawa-kun…" she breathed out.
"We can't change the past," he said slowly, "But we can decide what we want the future to look like."
Her fingers tightened around his and she couldn't help herself from smiling. "Ara, are you asking me out on a date?"
"Tch. That would be the idea, yes," he responded confidently with a scoff, but the colour in his cheeks betrayed him.
She ducked her head to stare at her coffee instead and hoped he didn't catch sight of her own glowing cheeks. "I hope you realize you're paying."
A scoff.
"I would be surprised if I wasn't."
Author's Notes: Ah… So I've realized I did three angsty ones in a row, so I was going to try for a fluff piece, and it still ended up being sorta angst at the beginning. At this point I'm not sure I know how to write CoAi without angst hahaha.
As usual, comments and suggestions are very much appreciated!
Completed: October 2, 2020
