Chapter Text
Shuichi’s uncle grabs his arm before he gets on the plane and it’s the look in his eye rather than the hold on his upper arm that makes the Ultimate Detective step away to talk.
“You don’t have to go, you know.” His uncle points out, a frown creasing his features. “You can say no and nobody will blame you. I know that spending a week in America with your father isn’t your idea of a good time.”
“I’m not going to have a good time.” Shuichi reminds gently. “I’m going to pay respects to my mother.” And even if he’d rather not go, he knows he’ll never forgive himself if he chooses to abstain. There will be too many things that he could’ve done, at that point, and though he’s been able to function for the past several months, just going to the funeral will probably help him to lay any lingering thoughts on the matter to rest for good. He’s not expecting his attendance to fix his problems, but it might be good for him. Aside from that, too, no matter what his uncle says, it’s not going to replace his moral obligation to go. His mother died. That has to be dealt with, and Shuichi should be there at the funeral, to at least see part of it through.
Really, he knew that he was going to agree to go to the funeral the moment he hung up the phone after talking to his uncle. It wasn’t that he particularly wanted to go, or speak to his father, or any of it, he just… he felt that he needed to. And even if his uncle acted like it was alright, he was sure that his uncle would be disappointed if he chose not to attend. At least a little bit. Shuichi’s mind didn’t change even after talking to his father on the phone, and that had been an awfully uncomfortable phone conversation.
Still, he puts on a brave face with his uncle. “Besides, I’m not really spending a week with my father, remember?” He would’ve been staying at his father’s place, but he requested that he be allowed to get a hotel room instead, and his father had insisted on paying for it. Plus, there were… other things, Shuichi thought, that would make this trip bearable. “And I won’t be alone for it. I’ll have Rantaro there.”
That had been a whole other decision on its own, and Shuichi still isn’t entirely sure it’s a good idea, but he feels it’s the only thing that’s really giving him the courage to go through with this.
He spent the entire day after his uncle reportedly gave his phone number to his father in a daze, waiting on that phone call. But even though he had his ringer on at full volume and twitched every time his phone even made a noise, it wasn’t until around one in the morning that he finally got that call. Inconsiderate, on his father’s part, but Shuichi understood. California, where his father lives, is sixteen hours behind Japan, so it would’ve been around 5PM for him at the time the call was made. It was just fortunate that Shuichi was awake.
And there wasn’t much to report about the call itself, but talking to his father after years of radio silence… Shuichi was stressed, and after how close he’d been to feeling better that morning, he couldn’t really deal with it. So despite the hour, he went to Rantaro’s room.
Thinking about it almost makes Shuichi blush, but it’s not the kind of thing he wants to get into in front of his uncle. Even in his head. Nothing happened worth noting, of course- they talked for a bit, cuddled. Rantaro offered to come to California with Shuichi, and even though he didn’t want to impose, Shuichi knew realistically that there was no way he could reject an offer like that. Not with Rantaro. And then they made out for about an hour and fell asleep.
It’s been about fifteen hours since then- honestly, neither of them attended class that day. They both woke up at around ten in the morning and spent the rest of the day before Shuichi’s uncle arrived to drive them to the airport packing. Shuichi didn’t pack much more than a backpack worth of stuff, and he was worried about it until he saw how similarly lightly Rantaro had packed. Neither of them needed much more than what the hotel would provide, anyway.
There was a brief discussion about whether or not Rantaro would be okay being in a car to go to the airport, but the adventurer had just pursed his lips and promised that it would be alright.
Shuichi is trying to take Rantaro’s word for it. Not just about the car thing. So before his uncle can say anything else, he leans forward and hugs the man, forgetting the fact that they’re at the airport for a moment so he can properly bid his uncle adieu. It’s not like he hasn’t gone a week without seeing his uncle, before. Shuichi attends a private academy, after all. It’s just… well, the prospect of going to California for any reason, his mother’s funeral, no less, is intimidating. He needs all the comfort he can get.
His uncle reciprocates, briefly but tightly, and holds back any further protests, which tells Shuichi that the message has been received. When he pulls back from the embrace, all his uncle says is, “Have a safe trip,” before allowing him to go back and join Rantaro in line to board the airplane.
He’s ridden a plane before. Albeit, it was once, and he was pretty young at the time, so Shuichi is far from an expert, but he’s not frightened by turbulence or worried about the plane crashing. Logically he knows that it’s a possibility, and the possibility does wonders for Shuichi’s anxiety, but he also understands that worrying about it isn’t going to do him any good, so there’s no reason that he shouldn’t simply shelf the thoughts for later, when the plane has touched the ground again.
Still, he gets bored fast. He’s starting to regret not being smart like Rantaro, and bringing a book.
Speaking of Rantaro…
He glances over at the adventurer, who rides planes pretty regularly (though he prefers to travel by boat, Shuichi’s been told) and is thus accustomed to it. Rantaro is sitting with his legs tucked under him and a book held in one hand, gaze fixed on whatever is written in the pages. In the bright light that reflects off the clouds and peeks through the windows of the plane, Rantaro’s green eyes are as see-through as stained glass, and take on the appearance of emeralds. His eyelashes are absurdly long, and little particles of light get caught on them every so often, giving him the appearance of drinking in the sunlight. Since they’re traveling, neither of them is dressed in a school uniform, and Rantaro is wearing what he’d usually wear- but perhaps due to the warm temperature on the plane, he’s taken off his blue shirt and tied it around his waist, leaving only a couple tank-tops underneath, and Shuichi would like to note on the record that it’s incredibly distracted.
It’s also worth noting, though, that Shuichi doesn’t mind at all. Rantaro really is quite thin- it doesn’t always seem like it with all the shirts he tends to wear, but right now it shows especially. As he reads, his other hand is being used to hold up his head, and a couple of his fingers have tangled in his green hair, which is still the same mess it was this morning.
The fact that it’s only been a day since Shuichi and Rantaro established their feelings for each other is really blowing his mind. It’s felt as though every other aspect of their relationship has been so slow… and really this one is too, what with Shuichi putting a pause on the whole traveling-with-Rantaro decision, but… this feels different, somehow. It’s hard for him to process at the moment. Especially with all this funeral business… there really isn’t anything else that Shuichi would rather do less than this.
Inevitably, Rantaro notices that Shuichi is staring at him, and his eyes flicker over to meet the detective’s. Despite having spaced out, Shuichi immediately becomes attentive when Rantaro’s gaze is on his face. And even though he’s comfortable with the other boy, his heart still wobbles in his chest when the adventurer’s lips quirk in a small smile.
“See something you like?” Rantaro teases, reaching over to ruffle Shuichi’s hair. It’s the same big-brother sort of gesture that Shuichi has always loathed from anybody, not just Rantaro, but it’s with affection rather than contempt that he catches the other boy’s wrist before he can pull it away entirely, lacing their fingers together and laying their joined hands down on the armrest between them.
“Maybe…” Shuichi muses, averting his gaze to try to hide his embarrassment (despite knowing that there’s no way that Rantaro would judge him). “Your book, for one thing. I should’ve brought one on.”
“Hmm…” Rantaro pulls a face. “I know you told me to be more open minded about books, but this one isn’t very good, either.” He marks his page anyway and puts it to the side. “I think I’d rather do something else. Want to watch a movie?” He gestures at the screens that are set up in front of them. “I think they have Mean Girls … since we’re going to California, it might be nice to get into the mood and watch something that they all like there.”
Though he’s trying to keep an open mind, Shuichi makes a face, not dissimilar to the one Rantaro made moments earlier. “I don’t like that movie.” It’s not that he’s trying to let his pet peeves dictate his interests, he just… “Ah, but... I suppose we could watch it. It beats sitting here in silence.” Besides, even if he feels the movie isn’t good, the idea of watching a movie with Rantaro isn’t so bad. There are definitely worse ways to spend their time.
With that out of the way, Rantaro pops in the disk, and they both put on their headphones, ready to tune in to the film. Within the first fifteen minutes, though, Shuichi finds himself getting tired. Maybe it’s the hum of the engine, or the gentle noise in his ears, but he just… these sorts of circumstances always lull him to sleep. Besides, he’s going to be incredibly jetlagged either way; they’ve got a ten hour flight ahead of them. So he might as well get some sleep while he feels like he can. Shuichi shuffles around in his spot, trying to get comfortable, and hesitantly rests his head on Rantaro’s shoulder. The adventurer, without looking over, adjusts his position to put his arm around Shuichi’s shoulders and pull him closer.
Rantaro’s scent is so familiar to him, now, that Shuichi can’t help the almost immediate sense of security that the action puts him into. He presses as close as the position will allow and closes his eyes, falling asleep to the sound of Regina George being a bitch.
When Shuichi opens his eyes again, it’s to the sound of the pilot, over the speakers. They’re coming in to the Las Angeles airport and should buckle back up again for the landing. It’s not a problem for him or Rantaro because it doesn’t seem as though either of them has gotten up throughout the flight, but Shuichi does sit up, noting that Rantaro must’ve removed his headphones, because they are back where they were before rather than hanging around his neck. The adventurer, on the subject, appears to have fallen asleep himself, and as much as Shuichi is reluctant to wake him up (both because Rantaro is adorable in sleep and because he doesn’t want to rob his boyfriend of the extra shut-eye) he finds himself reaching over and gently shaking his shoulder.
“Hey, the plane’s landing soon.” He murmurs, just as Rantaro begins to stir. The other boy yawns, stretching his arms above his head, and nods, whispering a thanks for Shuichi’s waking him up. The detective smiles slightly but doesn’t respond, instead choosing to reclaim Rantaro’s hand and focus his gaze out the window.
Initially, upon exiting the plane, Shuichi is concerned about the prospect of finding his father in the huge crowds of people that are congregating in the airport. He doesn’t think communication is going to be a problem- he’s not particularly good at English, though he’s certainly not bad at it either, but his father speaks Japanese as his first language, so he hasn’t been stressing out about it. It’s just that Shuichi hasn’t seen his father anywhere but a movie screen for the past decade and a half of his life, and embarrassingly, he’s not sure that he’ll recognise him right away.
But that doesn’t end up being a problem. Shuichi knows that his father is a famous actor, and that’s all good and well, but the bodyguards are not only extra, but probably extremely unnecessary. His father sticks out in the crowd like a sore thumb. There are people taking pictures, it seems, but they’re keeping their distance, for the most part. And the moment that Shuichi spots his father, in the middle of his group, his father spots him, and a large smile crosses over his features.
Probably too large, considering how he abandoned Shuichi before he could even speak properly, but the detective decides to keep it to himself.
Maintaining a tight grip on Rantaro’s hand, because Shuichi doesn’t think he could handle losing the only thing that’s keeping him sane right now, he pushes through the crowds of people to get to his father, murmuring “excuse me” and “sorry” as coherently as he can in English. Behind him, with much better pronunciation, Rantaro is doing the same, and Shuichi feels his nerves calm a little bit at the repeated reminders that he’s got Rantaro here right now.
Then he arrives in front of his father.
“Ah-” Shuichi is about to speak in Japanese, but then he switches to English, in an attempt to be courteous. “Hi, Father,” he says nervously, hearing his voice tremble a little. It’s embarrassing, and he’s completely forgotten the more conversational way to say dad (he’s pretty sure it’s not chichi!) so it’s all he’s got. Even if it makes him sound a little cold. Honestly, he’s not entirely opposed to the idea of coming off that way. As much as he isn’t angry at his father for what happened, he can’t pretend that he isn’t a little bitter.
“Shuichi, I’m so glad to see you.” His father says this in English, perhaps out of respect for Shuichi’s attempt, but then switches over to Japanese as he sweeps his son into a far-tighter-than-necessary hug. “I was worried that you wouldn’t want to come, which would’ve been understandable, considering, but…”
Yeah, Shuichi thinks, like I could’ve said no. Even just asking to stay at a hotel made me feel like I was kicking a hurt puppy. Shuichi might be petty and bitter but he’s not heartless. He knows better than to say no to somebody whose wife just died. (Still, staying in the same house is definitely pushing it. He’s glad to be able to stay in a hotel.)
His father releases him from the rib-crushing hug and his gaze falls on Rantaro, who had to release Shuichi’s hand when the hug was first initiated.
“Oh, who is this? You didn’t tell me you’d be flying in with somebody.” The question is innocent, but it still makes Shuichi’s heart pound a little bit harder. He’s not sure what to say, or how his father is going to respond, but-
“I’m Rantaro Amami.” Rantaro speaks in perfect English, stepping forward and offering a handshake. His usual relaxed smile has appeared on his face. “I’m in Shuichi’s class, but I’m also his partner, so I came along to support, and pay my respects at the funeral.”
Ah… that’s right. Shuichi doesn’t have to worry about Rantaro. Admittedly he only catches bits and pieces of what Rantaro has said because he’s speaking fairly quickly, but the word partner stands out, and Shuichi can’t help but feel appreciative. It’s true, of course- they’re dating, that’s what they decided to try out this week (that still stands) but it’s vague enough that Shuichi’s father could interpret it as a business partnership, or something more platonic, if that’s what he’s looking for. Thank god for Rantaro.
And thank god for the fact that not an ounce of judgement flickers over his father’s features, either, when he accepts the handshake. “Well, I appreciate you flying out like this. If I’d known you were coming, I would’ve covered your flight expenses too.”
“No, don’t worry, that’s not a problem for me.” Rantaro’s smile turns a little bit wry, though he doesn’t elaborate, which makes Shuichi think that he’s hesitant to go into detail.
“I could at least cover a room for you at the hotel…?” Shuichi’s father considers it. “Actually… you probably won’t mind sharing, will you?”
So perhaps his father is more perceptive to those things than anticipated. Shuichi finds himself raising his eyebrows, but his hearing turns a little foggy while Rantaro answers, and he doesn’t hear the tail end of the conversation. It’s… it’s not that his father is bad, or anything… actually… he seems like a nice person. A friendly, amicable person. Somebody who Shuichi would be proud to call his father, if not for… if not for the obvious. And he’s like this even after his wife died. He seems to be accepting, and kind enough, and Shuichi hasn’t known him much beyond his movies (which is sad to say of one’s own father but nonetheless) but he picked up on the glint of genuine affection in his father’s eye when he pulled out of the hug.
Which is… it’s causing a hole to open up in the pit of Shuichi’s stomach. His father being kind really isn’t going to work for him, it’s going to make being resentful so much harder. It’s gotten easier to deal with the feelings of bitterness and confusion over the years by hating his parents. But now his mother is dead, and his father seems so nice, he just…
Rantaro’s hand slides into his, and Shuichi comes back down to reality again, blinking a couple times. It doesn’t seem that his father has noticed, because he’s now talking to one of his bodyguards about something or the other, but it’s evident that the adventurer has picked up on Shuichi’s anguish, based on the look he’s getting now. Without a word, Shuichi tucks himself into Rantaro’s side, closing his eyes briefly and swallowing down all the feelings that just surfaced. He can think about it later. Preferably at night, when nobody can see the expression that he’s making, and he can cry without making people feel bad about it.
“Okay!” His father walks back up to them, speaking in Japanese once more. “We’re ready to go. We’re going to drop you off at your hotel, so hop in.”
The fact that Shuichi’s father owns a black SUV already makes him extra, but the sliding glass window that separates him and the driver is almost excruciating. Shuichi has to consciously stop himself from cringing by squeezing Rantaro’s hand, though he can tell that his boyfriend doesn’t really understand this particular plight. But maybe that’s just Rantaro’s upbringing talking. Nonetheless, he’s sure his father is expecting him to make small talk, so he turns his gaze onto the man in question and wonders what to say.
“The funeral is in five days.” Shuichi’s father breaks the silence first, looking through a few papers in his lap. “So until then, you two can just spend some time sightseeing around here. Have you ever been to LA before?” The question is directed to the both of them, so Shuichi shakes his head as Rantaro speaks.
“A couple times, actually. Though the second time was an accident,” Rantaro says this with his usual self deprecating chuckle, and Shuichi’s father smiles, asking for him to continue. “I meant to go to Las Vegas, you know, but I booked my flight late at night, and I’m good at English, I think, but even so… boy was I surprised getting off that plane in California.” He shakes his head. “I had fun, though.”
Shuichi’s father laughs softly, shaking his head. “A common mistake, I’m sure.” Well, not that Shuichi has ever heard of, but perhaps he says it more to be polite to Rantaro than out of a place of understanding. Whatever the intent is, he says it without judgement, and it’s only starting to become even more glaringly obvious how respectful his father is. “I assume you haven’t, son?”
Yeah, Shuichi thinks, startling himself with the bitterness in his own thoughts. Because I didn’t want to come and risk seeing you and mom. Because you and mom never made the effort to fly me out. He swallows down the sudden anger and shakes his head. “No, this is my first time.” He manages with a small smile that he has to wrestle to get on his face. “There’s plenty that I’d like to see here, though.” That much is true, but even if he was lying through his teeth, his father would have no idea. Shuichi isn’t a very good liar (unless it’s for an investigation) but his father doesn’t know him well enough to be able to tell.
Rantaro does, though, and squeezes his hand once again. “I can take you around.” He offers calmly. “There’s still a lot that I haven’t seen, so we can go check out some old places and maybe some new ones.”
“I have a lot scheduled planning the funeral, but,” Shuichi’s father takes out his phone, swiping on the screen as though checking his calendar. “In a couple days, I’ll have some time to show you two around my part of Los Angeles. I think you’ll like it.” He says this to Shuichi, not to Rantaro, and the detective averts his gaze, feeling shame burning in his throat. He can’t stop feeling resentful, and it’s getting harder and harder for him to feel alright about it.
Upon arriving at the hotel, Shuichi’s father is gracious enough to make sure that they have a room with two beds, but once they’re actually inside the room and his father has driven away, Shuichi starts wondering if that’s going to be a good arrangement. Rantaro drops his belongings on the bed near the window, though, so without speaking, Shuichi does the same on the other.
They stand in silence for a moment.
“He’s nice,” Rantaro comments, and though Shuichi is tempted to get mad at his boyfriend for the observation, he’s thinking the same thing, and it would feel unfair to get upset about it. So he just nods, sinking down to sit on the bed. “You were kind of spaced off at the time, but he invited us to eat dinner with him most days this week. Is that something that you’re okay with?”
Shuichi hesitates. “I guess.” It feels wrong for him to sound so reluctant, especially with Rantaro, who doesn’t deserve it, but he can’t stop himself. The inclination to be honest with the other boy is too strong already, and besides that, he just… he just lacks the energy to fake being happy with his father right now.
Rantaro hums, his eyebrows knitting together, before he speaks. “Wanna go somewhere?”
“Hm?” Shuichi looks up, surprised. “We just got here…”
“Yeah, but,” Rantaro looks uncertain for a minute, rubbing his arm with one hand. “That’s true. I just have too much energy right now to be cooped up in one place. I’d like to go somewhere if you’re up to it.”
It’s definitely not a suggestion made on account of Rantaro’s own feelings. Whatever is going through the adventurer’s head right now, it’s that he wants Shuichi to feel better. Not him. Still… going somewhere else and thinking about something else is extremely tempting. So Shuichi swallows and nods. “Okay. I’m up to it. Where are we gonna go?”
Grinning, Rantaro walks over and offers a hand to pull him to his feet. “I’ll show you.”