Egg Duty

A Magic Kaito Fanfic

7/30/2012- 8/1/2012

Disclaimer: Not mine.

Author's note: Far from my usual writing style. Frankly, the idea of babies scares me. But that's what this story is about. And Aoko is having more internal turmoil that I would like… But I thought I would share anyway.

Chapter 1:

00 Monday 00

Kuroba Kaito was bored.

Classes were usually boring, but this one took the cake. Sensei was talking about responsibilities. Towards babies.

"We're seventeen! If we're stupid enough to pop out a baby, we had better learn how to become responsible. Since obviously, we weren't responsible enough to prevent, nor stop the birth." Kaito scowled as he ran his internal dialogue. It was also hard to focus on the teachers words because of all the fawning girls around him. They all thought babies were adorable.

Chancing a glance to his side, Kaito saw Nakamori Aoko, his best friend, concentrating as she took notes on what the teacher said. Aoko's eyes had none of the dreamy expressions that so many of the other girls had on their faces. He was not surprised at seeing her concentrated attention. She had lost her mother at a young age. And as the daughter of a police officer, she was often alone when her father was called in. Resilient and independent were two avid adjectives for Aoko. Dependable was also applicable, but Kaito saw how she looked when someone used the term to describe her. She had all but deflated when she heard the word.

Ten years, Kaito knew her. And in those ten years, Kaito learned that no matter how strong she looked on the outside, she was delicate. Never once did she say that she was strong because she wanted to be. It was her responsibility and she shouldered it without complaint.

A subtle shift in Aoko's head made Kaito drag his attention back to the front of the classroom. The teacher had brought in a funny box. Kaito knew what was inside. He just didn't see how eggs came into play.

"Your assignment is simple." The change in the teacher's voice snapped the boys from their half comatose state and the girls from their fantasies. "You will pair up. One boy, one girl. That's the rule, no exceptions. You will take care of the egg as a couple. The goal: bring the egg every day unharmed until Friday. The task is to document the important activities necessary for taking care of a child. From now until Friday, you are a parent. Pair up. Those without a partner will be assigned with no complaints. You have three minutes."

Kaito turned to Aoko and snagged her hand.

"Be my partner?" Hell no way was he going to let a repeat of that horrendous skiing trip happen. None of those hormonal boys were going to ask Aoko before him. They were all fighting over Akako and Kaito had to partner with Aoko before the witch declared something he did not like.

"S-sure." Aoko looked pleasantly surprised. Whether from his immediate question or their physical contact, Kaito couldn't tell. Nor, frankly, did he care.

"Good." He slid his chair closer to her desk, blatantly stating his partner of choice to the teacher.

The rest of the class scrambled, but most fell short of the time limit. Ordering them back to their seats, the teacher took a few minutes to assess who was left and paired them together. Groans and outright exclamations of horror filled the room. Kaito ignored them and looked at the handout the teacher passed around.

Apparently, the health department was doing their social duty by trying to teach the students both how to be good parents, but good spouses. The first assignment was to set guidelines on how they wanted to raise the child. As a couple.

"Well, maybe I can stir things up even more." Kaito thought wickedly.

Abruptly, he stood, his chair making a horrible screeching sound over the noise of the class. They stopped to glare at him. Until, at least, he knelt, taking one of Aoko's hands and looking into her astonished face.

"Nakamori Aoko."

"Kaito?" She was so adorable when she blushed and said his name.

"Will you marry me?"

The class was as silent as a tomb. Most had confused looks, a few had sly ones, and Akako wore a furious one.

"What are you talking about, baka!" Aoko scrambled away from him after a few beats of silent shock. "Who'd marry you?"

"Don't be like that Aoko-chan. I'm getting into the feel of the assignment. If we're really to be responsible, we have to be a strong foundation. Can't have a child out of wedlock, right? It'll cause problems for junior in school." Kaito looked pleadingly up at Aoko, completely ignoring the sniggers of their classmates. "I'm looking out for our child."

"Being responsible, huh?" Aoko laughed, trying to pull her hand from his. "Trying to get extra credit points? I don't think that's going to work on Sensei…"

"That. Is. So. Touching!" Sensei was a puddle of emotions at the front of the class. "Good job, Kuroba-kun!"

"Are you serious?" Aoko gasped at the teacher.

"Extra points, but only if Nakamori-san accepts."

"Okay, I accept!" Anyone who refused easy extra credit points was an idiot.

"Alright, Kuroba-kun, get off the floor now. I'm going to pass out your children." The teacher picked up the box of eggs and passed them out. Each egg had a drawn face. Uniquely and poorly drawn faces adorned the egg shells. That way it would be harder for the students to replace the egg if it broke.

"It looks like you." Aoko turned their egg in her hands carefully. "What shall we name him?"

"He does not look like me. How does he look like me?" Kaito scowled at Aoko.

"How about… Maruichi?"

"Maruichi? No."

"Ja, Toichi?" Aoko smiled.

"You would name your son after my father?" Kaito was surprised at the emotions welling up inside his chest.

"I'm just following the scenario, silly." Aoko looked at the egg and focused on tucking it into a box she had cushioned with a handkerchief. "As your son, he's bound to become a world class magician. He needs a good name, right?"

"You realize that I might have to marry you for real now, don't you?" Kaito leaned in and whispered in her ear so only she could hear.

She flushed pink and muttered something incomprehensible in response.

"You've spent most of your life taking care of Inspector Nakamori and yourself. I would already give you a passing grade for this assignment." Kaito leaned back in his chair, perusing the leaflets that they had to fill out.

"Don't let your guard down. Taking care of babies and children are very different from doing chores and making food." Aoko was already finished with the handout and was writing in the log book.

"Shall I take Junior home with me tonight? Or do you want to take him?" Kaito held both of their bags as Aoko walked beside him, cradling the egg carefully. The sun was descending for the horizon as they walked home. They had gotten out late since cleaning the room took longer in the students' fear of breaking the eggs on the desks.

"You can take him if you want. Just don't eat him by mistake." Aoko already knew that Kaito would fudge the report and put the egg in his refrigerator as soon as he got home.

"Okay, Aoko." He gave her his famous smile, the one she loved, before bringing out a rose from nowhere. Tucking it into her hair, he swapped her bag for the box with the egg. "See you tomorrow."

"Bye, Kaito." They went their own ways. Kaito to his home, Aoko to go shopping for dinner ingredients for her and the Inspector.

00 Tuesday 00

The next morning, Kaito greeted Aoko with a kiss on the cheek as he carefully put Toichi Junior on her desk.

"Good morning, wife."

"Kaito!" She jerked away, horrified at his actions. "What are you doing?"

"Showing my son a loving family atmosphere. Oh, here." Kaito grabbed her hand and pulled something from thin air. It was a ring and he slipped it onto her finger before she could do anything. "There."

"What's this for?" Aoko held up her hand and looked at the metal band.

"You're my wife. Gotta show others that you're mine, right?" Flashing her a smile, he sat down and pulled out the newspaper he brought with him. "I put Junior to bed at 8 o'clock. Don't let him stay up too late tonight."

"Yes, Papa."

"Papa?" Kaito raised an eyebrow before it could twitch. "You chose to call me 'Papa?'"

"You called me, 'wife.'" Aoko pointed out firmly.

"So!"

"Shh!" Aoko put a finger to her lips and clamped a hand over his mouth. "You'll wake the baby."

"I can tell that you'll be using that a lot this week." Kaito whispered with a stage voice after taking the opportunity to lean in an inappropriate amount to Aoko's ear.

"You bet, a-na-ta." Aoko gave him a sickly sweet smile even though her eyes glinted suspiciously as she called him 'dear.'

The homeroom teacher walked in and stopped any retort he was going to make.

This was going to be an exciting week.