A/N: Sorry for the long wait, guys! Gosh, I'm such a procrastinator... Someone hit me now...
And yes, Ice cream is the answer! It's a little short, but I hope you'll like it!
I is for Ice cream
A cool autumn breeze swept through the streets, gently blowing a girl's hair as she headed out further into town. Vermillion rays of light lit the stone pavements as passers-by hurried past her, minding their own business. It was just an ordinary afternoon for Kaiko Shion.
Clad in a fur coat and a blue scarf and boots, she strolled past the bakery and the doughnut shop. Her eyes saw the library and the rubbish dump as her two delicate feet carried her even further. Without a destination or a goal, she kept going till the soles of her boots scrunched against the sandy ground of the beach.
As usual, there were many people crowding all around under their umbrellas and the shades of the trees. Faint splashing and an occasional yelp of surprise echoed in her ears and she giggled upon seeing a child rush to the sea, yelling and hurling a large rubber ball.
This is no place to confide with myself, she thought, shaking her head dismissively. Kaiko was just about to leave when she heard the chiming of bells from the distance. Sure enough, the ice cream stall was there, and the owner, Lapis Aoki, was smiling at her customers as they lined up for the dessert.
Kaiko, being unable to live without ice cream, joined the queue and ordered a special flavor she had always loved: Sea Salt. She waited for a bit longer till the line ran short, and went up to Lapis for a small chat.
"Crowded as always, isn't it?" She giggled, watching a toddler trip and wail.
Lapis shrugged and scooped some ice cream for herself. "Nothing ever happens around here, so… yeah. Business is still unchanged." She dusted imaginary dust off her pink apron and got out of the van, sitting beside her friend on the white sand. She spotted a group of teens nearby and pointed to them, asking, "Hey, aren't they your friends? You should go say Hi or something."
Kaiko shook her head. "I don't feel like socializing again today…" She seemed uncomfortable with the exchange and said nothing more, suddenly becoming interested with the sand around her feet.
Lapis let a wry smile stretch on her lips. Ever since that incident, she had stopped going out with her circle of companions, preferring to wander alone on the streets and cry at home instead. In fact, she had also stopped coming to the beach for her daily dose of Sea Salt ice cream. This was the first time in her four week absence.
It had happened not too long ago, when the group had decided to go camping. The trip went smoothly all the way, but when they were on the way home, they were involved in a serious car accident and some had to be taken to the hospital. Ever since that day, one member of the gang was missing, and the entire party almost split due to his disappearance.
"Ah, I remember the days where you and him came, asking for an ice cream each…" Lapis sighed nostalgically, her indigo eyes fixated on the amber sky. "The both of you were so carefree then… laughing and trying to snatch away each others' cones and sticks. Ah, those were the days…"
Kaiko gripped her friend's arm and looked at her with teary eyes. "Please… Please don't remind me… It's so hard…" She finally collapsed in Lapis's arms and was in a miserable sobbing fit, choking on her tears. "If only he didn't have to go like that…!"
Lapis's blue orbs brimmed with salty water as well, and she patted the weeping girl gently on the head, cooing. "Hush now, it's alright; the pain won't last forever, you know that…" Her heart had almost ripped to shreds the day Kaiko had come to her stall, crying her eyes out. It was such a pity. She was a nice person in all, and she didn't deserve to experience all this pain.
Kaiko sobbed on her shirt for a few minutes more, before finally looking up and whispering, "Thank you." Lapis could only smile as the blue haired girl promptly apologized and stood up, rubbing her puffy eyes. "Really, thanks. I needed to let it all out… Um, I'm sorry about your shirt."
Lapis peered down at her soaked clothing and laughed. "It's fine." She climbed into the van and held out another stick of Sea Salt ice cream before her friend, smiling sympathetically. "Why not have one more? To keep him close by."
Kaiko accepted with trembling hands. "Sure and… Thanks, I guess…" With that, she hurried off, probably crying some more.
Lapis craned her neck to see the girl's running form till she was out of sight. She let out another heavy sigh and her eyes briefly cast themselves downwards. "She really didn't deserve all this…. I feel sorry for that girl…"
The blue haired girl's pace slowed till she was dragging her feet along the granite road. Her thoughts went back to the time of the accident, the very rugged road where she would be the last to see him alive. If only she had been there to warn him sooner, if only she had been there to push him out of the way. If only she could've…
The pickup truck that had been driven by her friend Len was sitting on the roadside, waiting for the passengers who were buying food at a nearby gas station. They were all returning from their glorious camp after enjoying a fortnight in tents and the vast mountainside. They had enjoyed campfires and the trading of ghost stories and jokes, away from the busy city life.
Kaiko was wandering around the gas station, observing the workmen as they put strange hoses into their customers' cars. The meter would rise till it stopped at a certain time, and the men would be paid.
One of the men approached her and informed, "Hey, kid, could you ask that guy to get off the road? It's awfully risky, you know."
She turned and saw a young man on the road, dancing absentmindedly as he waved his Popsicle in the air, singing, and "I'm an ice cream lover, my lover, your lover…"
"Get off the road, its dangerous!" She yelled from cupped hands. His erratic behavior made it all the more life-endangering.
He turned to her with a goofy grin. "It's all right, nothing is gonna happen…"
As soon as he said that, the headlights of a car shone on him, and the vehicle smashed into his body, sending him flying and landing on the hard road with a sickening 'Crack!'
All she could do was scream in horror as a pool of dark red formed around his unmoving form.
Kaiko restrained the big droplets of tears with a sniffle. A cool sensation went up her hand and she realized that the ice cream was melting fast. Reluctantly, she brought the dessert to her lips and licked it slowly, trying not to cry as she did so.
Like what he had done that night, she raised the ice cream and waved in high in the air, now sobbing uncontrollably as passers-by stared peculiarly at the girl. She took no note of them as she whispered,
"Here, big bro Kaito… Here's an ice cream for you…"
A/N: No one's ever done a Kaito/Kaiko fic before, so I decided to give it a try!~ This made me cry while writing it... sniff...
Has my writing improved? (looks back on previous chapters) Gosh, I really sucked! Oh, and if I have to thank someone, it would be Shaariin13! I didn't think anyone would read this fic anymore! Thanks for motivating me, Shaariin-san, and everyone else too! Please see her awesome stories!
...No hints this time, sorry. I think I'm giving to much away XD
~Jelly-O