timeripple | I don't write fic

Title: Asuka Smash!
Drama: JOKER: Yurusarezaru Sousakan
Rating: PG-13 for mental cursing

A/N: A bit of filler for Episode 10, because I wish Asuka had gotten more screentime and character development and everything. And because she and Kudo are adorable! Okay, so this is also a bit OOC, I feel. I like to think subtext!Asuka is a bit more vocal than drama!Asuka-- drama!Asuka bashes in windows with baseball bats just because she feels like it, but we don’t get a lot of what she’s feeling about any particular thing. Hence: subtext!Asuka! Um, for some reason my brain thinks subtext!Asuka is kind of angry. Also let’s pretend cell phones are allowed in jdrama hospitals. I took a bit of liberty with the dialogue, but based it on the actual episode. Also, I think this note is longer than the fic itself. XD Thanks and/or blame to mousi and rachel, who said "stop being a wimp and just post it."

Asuka woke up with a killer headache and the vague sense that she was somewhere familiar.

“Where am I?” she asked, because there was nothing she could do about the headache right now, but she was good at questions.

“You’re in the hospital,” a voice informed her. Asuka looked up to see the Chief’s worn, dry face.

Oh. The hospital. No wonder. Asuka was very familiar with this particular room, now that she was awake enough to think about it. There was the crack in the plaster wall, the loose curtain ring--but why was she on the bed? She wasn’t supposed to be in bed, she was supposed to be sitting where the Chief was sitting, keeping watch over—

Kudo.

Where was Kudo?

Damn him.

Date-san had probably pulled him away to help with the case the minute he woke up. Or, more likely, he’d dashed off himself the minute he woke up. Which meant he had woken up.

Stupid Date. Stupid Kudo.

Asuka lay there and fumed while the Chief reminded her that she’d been injected with a truth serum and needed rest and recovery. She remembered that now, all right. How angry she’d been when the bartender explained everything. How, even as she shouted at him and tried not to cry, some part of her went cold and still as ice. And how helpless she felt when the serum made her tell him she’d given the disk to Kudo—defenseless, wounded Kudo, who couldn’t even open his eyes, much less guard anything.

In hindsight, that was probably not her smartest move ever. But she trusted Kudo, even if he was in a coma. Kudo and Date.

Who, she was pretty sure, were both involved with JOKER somehow. Just thinking about that made Asuka want to grab a baseball bat and calmly, deliberately smash something.

And now they were both off doing something dangerous without her.

The Chief clearly had mind-reading skills he’d been keeping under wraps the whole time Asuka had known him, because he chose that moment to order her not to even think about getting up. Asuka glared at him, and vowed that one day she would be his superior officer and order him around. See how he liked being told not to go help the people most important to him. Or beat them up, if necessary.

He definitely had mind-reading skills, because his face softened a bit. “You need rest. Don’t worry about Date-san and Kudo-san.”

Stupid Date. Stupid Kudo. Asuka closed her eyes and hoped they were okay. The hospital staff had changed the bed linen, but she imagined she could still smell Kudo’s shampoo on the pillow, and the detergent he used on those ridiculous Hawaiian shirts. Asuka wondered if this counted as indirect sleeping together. Kudo would love that. Stupid Kudo. Should have kissed him while she had the chance.

***

Some time later, Asuka’s phone rang, waking her from a light and troubled sleep. The Chief picked it up and examined the caller ID, but gave it to her when she put out a hand.

“Kudo-san,” she said. She hoped the relief in her voice wasn’t too obvious.

“Asuka-chan,” he replied, sounding exhausted. “I’m awake now. So kiss me.”

Damn him, Asuka thought. She’d do a lot worse than that, once she found him.

“Stay there,” she said. “We’re coming.”