Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“…you don't have to face this alone. We can do it together.”

Shuichi’s words echoed within Rantaro’s mind. Considering the Ultimate Detective’s usual behaviour, he said that uncharacteristically confidently. Surely that was the sole reason Rantaro still thought about them. Totally not because he was tired of bearing it all alone and he actually wanted to share his story with the other. Why would he? Shuichi wouldn’t understand either way. He’d probably tell Rantaro to just give up. Everyone else did.

“Rantaro!”

The boy turned around to face Keebo, who seemed as if he had been trying to get his attention for a while now. Rantaro chuckled at the cute concerned face Keebo was making.

“Ah, sorry, I was lost in a thought. Did you need something?” Rantaro smiled apologetically, rubbing the back of his head.

Keebo paused, watching Rantaro’s body-language. A human-like sigh escaped the robot. It was useless. He couldn’t understand the other.

“Actually, I have something to ask you.” Keebo seemed serious but unsure as he fidgeted with his hands.

“Sure. Ask away.” Rantaro gently smiled. That put the robot at ease and he smiled in return before returning to his serious expression.

“Do tell me if I’m wrong, but it seems to me that you have been avoiding Shuichi lately. Why is that?”

Ah. Had he been that obvious?

“Avoiding him? What do you mean?” Rantaro tried to play dumb, shrugging the suspicion off. Keebo was no Kokichi. He could pull it off.

“I… well… I’m still learning to read the room, so I might be incorrect, but I noticed that recently you’ve been leaving as soon as Shuichi would arrive. When you have to stay in the same room, you try to be as far from him as possible.” As Keebo named the strange occurrences, Rantaro started thinking that maybe he couldn’t really pull it off. “Moreover, Shuichi has been… staring at you with an expression I can only describe as ‘thoughtful’, though I sense there is something else.” The robot paused, studying the other’s reaction. “Did something happen between you two?”

For a moment, there was silence.

“Haaah, I guess you’re getting better at reading people.” Rantaro sighed, hands on his hips, eyes closed. Then he simply shrugged again and put on a small smile. “You got me. I am avoiding him. But we didn’t have a fight or anything if that’s what you’re worried about. It’s… complicated, I guess. Complicated on my part.”

“Did he say something? I can talk to him for you, if you want!”

Rantaro looked at those honest robotic eyes. Keebo was so eager to help. It was cute enough to make Rantaro smile for real this time.

“No, you don’t have to. Like I said, we didn’t have a fight. It’s just…” He sighed again, failing to find the right words. “He thinks he can help me. But he doesn’t even know what my problem is.”

“Hmm…” Keebo cupped his chin with his hand, obviously trying to understand what Rantaro meant with all these vague words. “Well, have you tried explaining your problem?”

“He won’t understand.” Rantaro shook his head.

“How can you know? I am sure if you properly explain-”

“Like I said, it’s complicated…” He looked to the side, the hands on his hips tightening their grip.

“Well, he is the Ultimate Detective after all. If anyone can help with something complicated, it’s him.” Keebo kept pushing, determined to help his two friends.

“You don’t understand…” Rantaro shook his head again.

“Then explain it to me.” Rantaro’s aloof attitude was not appreciated by Keebo at all. “You know I need data to better understand-”

“A robot like you wouldn’t understand.”

Silence fell with a deafening realisation.

After seconds of hesitation, Rantaro looked at Keebo. Usually, the other would have already called him out on his ‘robophobic remark’. However, instead of the usual angry yet cute expression Rantaro saw one of hurt.

Keebo’s ‘ahoge’ – Tsumugi was the one to call it that – was laying low. Keebo’s partly opened mouth closed into a small frown. Keebo didn’t know what to say; where to look. He tried looking away. But he only glanced up at Rantaro again, trying to read his expression.

“Keebo-” Rantaro tried, reaching out for the robot.

But that only made Keebo take a step back. He glanced one last time between Rantaro’s hand and face before turning around and leaving.

Rantaro watched him disappear behind the nearest corner, arm still in the air. He slowly lowered it. A heavy sigh escaped him.

“Well, you’ve done it now, Rantaro,” he told himself before leaving to his dorm, hoping to fix his two problems later.

Chapter Text

Rantaro’s first problem solved itself without him doing much. Shuichi came up to him later himself. This time the detective managed to get Rantaro to open up to him. It felt as if some heavy weight was lifted off his shoulders. Maybe Rantaro could even ask Shuichi for help…

It was… just as easy as Keebo had made it sound.

Rantaro sighed.

“You still look troubled. It’s not about being a bad brother, is it?” Shuichi, who was still present after their little chat, studied Rantaro with that one thoughtful expression of his. Rantaro had thought about asking Shuichi to leave him alone for a moment, but the detective already continued, “Did you have a fight with someone?”

“… Nothing escapes the detective’s eye, huh.” Rantaro grinned, tired but amused.

“Ah, well.” Shuichi made an unsure gesture with his hand as an awkward smile crept up his lips.

It was truly amusing to watch. One minute he was confident and sure and nothing could stand in his way if it meant helping someone in need. The next minute he was sweating bullets, looking away and struggling to find the right words. Rantaro had his fun learning about both sides.

“Maybe you even know who?” Rantaro suggested with a smile, now being much more relaxed around Shuichi.

“I have a working theory…” Shuichi placed covered his mouth with his hand, face taking a serious look. “Could it be Keebo?”

“Bingo.” Rantaro’s relaxed smile stayed for a moment before he started awkwardly rubbing his neck. “Well, I wouldn’t call it a fight… I just said what I really shouldn’t have.”

“What… happened exactly?” Shuichi asked as he watched Rantaro crossing arms on his chest.

“Well, skipping all the details, he asked me to explain my problem to you and-” Rantaro shook his head- “I said that a robot like him wouldn’t understand.”

“Was it all?” There was a note of disbelief in Shuichi’s voice. “I thought it’d be something he heard rather often with Kokichi around. This kind of insults seems to bounce off him right away.” He smiled shyly. He could easily imagine Kokichi saying it and getting off the hook with a simple ‘That’s robophobic!’ from Keebo.

“Sounds strange, doesn’t it?” Rantaro returned the smile before sighing in defeat. “But maybe this one was the last straw, y’know? Maybe when I said it something finally clicked in him?” He chuckled, scratching his head. “Maybe he finally decided he had enough of all this robophobia and is now planning his revenge?” Seeing as Shuichi didn’t find it that funny, he sighed yet again. “He probably hates me now.”

“O-oh, I don’t think so, Rantaro!” There went Shuichi again with his warm and confident smile. “I think it’s the opposite, actually.” He looked down, expression a little sad. “He probably thinks of you the highest than anyone else. So he takes what you say to heart… He was actually the one who encouraged me to talk to you.”

“Did he now?” A small sad smile appeared on Rantaro’s face.

“So, I suggest you talk to him. I’m sure it will turn out okay.”

A pause. Shuichi was starting to get nervous. He had nothing else to say and what he did say didn’t seem to be much of an advice from his perspective.

“Thank you, Shuichi.”

It was the second time Shuichi saw Rantaro truly smile. It was prettier than any of his other grins and smiles.

“But… I don’t know how I’ll be able to catch Keebo without scaring him off.” In a much better mood Rantaro started thinking of ways to capture Keebo alone somewhere.

“I… might have an idea,” Shuichi started and Rantaro gave him every ounce of his attention.

“Shuichi!” Keebo called out with a wave, running up to the other. “What is it you wanted to talk with me about?”

“A-ah… w-well…” Despite it being his own idea, Shuichi felt rather bad for lying to Keebo like that. “You see, it’s about Rantaro.”

Keebo froze at the mention of the other’s name. He didn’t know what reaction was appropriate. Should he ‘play it cool’ as if nothing had happened? Should he act cold and uncaring? What was the best thing to say?

Before he could come up with something, however, the aforementioned person showed up.

“Hey there, Keebo,” Rantaro greeted with a wave and hurried to continue, “Sorry, but actually I was the one who wanted to talk.”

The robot stayed silent. He could only stare at the other, almost forgetting that Shuichi was there at all. Again, what was he supposed to say? He looked down to avoid the other’s gaze. He felt like he should apologize, but his inner voice told him that Rantaro was in the wrong here. Which wasn’t true at all! Rantaro had been nothing but nice to him all this time, he wasn’t like Kokichi, who only knew lies and insults, so for him to say something like that… obviously, it was Keebo who did something wrong.

“I… wanted to apologise.” Again, Rantaro spoke before Keebo even opened his mouth.

“Huh?” Keebo finally tore his eyes away from the floor and looked up at Rantaro.

“Y’know, for saying what I said. It was one stupid thing. Because, well, I know that you would’ve understood. You work really hard to understand and it was unfair of me to say that you wouldn’t just because you’re a robot.”

Once again there was a pause. Keebo was processing the new information. So, Rantaro didn’t think he did something wrong?

“So… Are you saying… you are sorry for your robophobic remark?” The robot’s reply earned a soft smile from Shuichi and an awkward chuckle from Rantaro.

“You could put it like that?” Rantaro smiled, rubbing the back of his neck.

Keebo thought about it for a moment before a big, warm smile appeared on his face. He felt… happy. Relieved.

“Okay, I forgive you.” He stood proud, hands on his hips. “It also seems you listened to my advice and talked to Shuichi.” He relaxed, cheerful smile turning into a very gentle one, his one hand put where his heart would have been. “I’m glad.”

Oh, he was cute. Too cute. In fact, he was so cute that Rantaro couldn’t help but gently pat him on his head.

“Yeah… Thank you.”

It made the robot’s face turn bright red, which got a chuckle out of Shuichi. That in turn made Rantaro grin as he turned to the detective.

“Hey there, you deserve a few pats, too.” With his free hand Rantaro started messing up Shuichi’s hair. “It thanks you I made up with Keebo so quickly. So… thank you.”

Shuichi could only nod with his face being as red as Keebo’s.