Work Text:
Ai woke up to the brisk draught of cold air. Shivering, she burrowed deeper under the blankets as she stifled a yawn—it wasn’t until her frozen feet came in contact with his skin that she remembered where she was. A smile tugged at her lips as she felt him stir behind her in their bed—she felt the warmth against her back and the weight of his arms around her waist, holding her closer to him. Feeling him breathing against the back of her neck gave her a quiet sense of joy—it was a feeling that she felt she wasn’t worthy of, would never be worthy of.
Nonetheless, for the moment, she was warm, comfortable and content.
Her eyes flickered open blearily when she caught sight of the fluttering cotton fluff outside the window—snowfall. With a soft sigh, she snuggled back up against him and he shifted his weight to accommodate her. “Can’t we stay in bed instead?” she murmured tiredly under her breath. “It’s cold.”
A small, sleepy chuckle escaped his throat and she felt the low rumbling of his chest—she could hear the lopsided grin on his face. “You?” Conan asked. “The workaholic? Stay in bed?” His fingers intertwined with hers and she felt something stir in her chest.
Huffing, she pretended to be annoyed and elbowed him gently in the stomach—he laughed. Without waiting for him, she sat up and threw on her sleeping robe before stalking to the washroom, the sound of his laughter following her through the apartment.
The buzzing of the coffee machine being started could be heard as she began brushing her teeth. By the time she had brushed her hair, put on some makeup and changed out of her pyjamas, the rich aroma of the coffee and the smell of buttered toast had permeated the air.
The sight of him with his mussed hair and morning stubble as he ran around to pour out the coffee and set the table never failed to send her heart lurching sideways. She knew she was completely helpless against his charms—had been utterly powerless against him since she had met him that day so long ago. When he caught sight of her, his lips widened into a proud grin—he took a few steps towards her, dipping down to brush his lips against her head before stumbling towards the washroom.
With a small shake of her head, she took a look at the dining table—a simple continental breakfast was laid out.
As she took sips of her brew, she looked out the window and watched the snowflakes flitter downwards, whirling and glittering in the dim winter light. It wasn’t until she had finished her breakfast that he sat down across her with his navy suit and his distinct pair of frames—his hair finally looked acceptable. Shooting her a sheepish smile, he shoved half a piece of toast in his mouth before gulping down his black coffee, almost choking in the process.
By the time the dishes in the sink were cleared, so were the case files on the coffee table that he had been perusing the night before—the chipped blue mug that had been converted to a pen holder had been moved safely back onto the side table.
Together, they began readying to leave their home in a comfortable silence—jackets put on, gloves and mittens worn, work bag carried, umbrella ready to be held. Just as she was about to leave the front door, his fingers grabbed onto her wrist gently before he pulled her into his embrace.
With a happy sigh, she closed her eyes and relaxed in his arms, her head tucked into the hollow of his collarbone.
“Have a good day at work,” he said as his voice rumbled in her ear.
“You too, Tantei-san.” She hummed in response as a grudging curl of her lips snuck up to her face. “Try not to attract too many corpses today,” she said dryly.
Snickering as he pulled back slightly, he looked down at her with his eyebrows drawn together in an expression of mock hurt. “Oi.”
Her light laughter rang through the apartment.
With his lips quirked up, he studied her face before his hand lifted up to her face and the back of his fingers ran across her cheeks. “Don’t stay too late in the lab. We’ve got dinner with the kiddos tonight.”
While she knew she really shouldn’t be feeling embarrassed at all, her face felt like it was burning suddenly. She snuggled back up against him—the warmth of his body enveloped her. “You’re warm,” she murmured, her lips brushing against his coat. “Would you stay if I asked you to?”
There was a moment’s silence before he snorted out a half-chuckle. “Nah. Would you?”
She didn’t need to think about the answer.
“No.”
“Such a workaholic,” he teased—she could see the amused look on his face without even having to look at him.
Tilting up her face with an eyebrow raised, she shot him an accusing stare. “Me or you?”
And then he leaned down, gently brushing his lips against hers briefly as his fingers cupped her face with tenderness—his eyes shone brightly and his gaze softened.
“Love you.”
She felt her heart flutter gently in her chest.
“Hm. Love you too.”