#kudo shinichi

Happy Birthday

Twittertsukimoka6

Shark boi ❤

Poor Kaito

Written Sept 2019
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When Luck summoned the two of them to the meeting chambers, Kaito was surprised. Aoko knew that the upcoming ceremony was stressful for everyone involved, so why she would summon the most important people in it–this close to it–escaped him.

When Kaito arrived, the other apprentice was already present. He was silently sitting in a chair near Aoko’s. Kaito bowed slightly since it had been a formal summons before taking his seat.

The future Death spoke before too long had lasted, “Lady Luck, to what do we owe the pleasure of being summoned here today?”

Kaito had to take a moment to register that the other’s voice was what he had heard. It was absolutely beautiful. Kaito turned his attention to Aoko as she started her response.

“I simply wanted to get a feel for how you two were handling the preparations for the ceremony. Most before you haven’t handled the transition well.”

Kaito shot a quick glance at the other man. He seemed to be almost frustrated at her response. “I don’t see the necessity to pull us out of our preparations just to ask how everything is going. If you don’t mind I’ll be taking my leave now. I have much to accomplish and very little time to do it.”

As the future Death approached the door, Aoko said one last thing directed to him, “Just– Please keep in mind that you are never alone in your position. The rest of us are here to help.”

With a nod, he left the room.

Kaito watched as Aoko noticeably relaxed after he obviously wasn’t coming back. “Aoko, was that all you were going to say?”

“No, no it wasn’t but it will have to do for now. He is a stubborn one, you’ll have your hands full, Kaito.”

-<3-

Shinichi had to hold himself back from acting aggressively when he felt the transfer of power and confirmed it with Fate before she sent Life and Death to their next phase. His understanding was that there would be time for a quick rundown on control before they were separated from their mentors until their time on earth was over. He could already feel the slight pangs of no control and he was suddenly glad that any current realm holder couldn’t die.

But, he could now put a name to the other man that had been training on the opposite side for as long as he had. Kaito. His only true equal for as long as they held the titles. This should be interesting.

-<3-

The first time Kaito had to use his powers to negate Shinichi’s he honestly wasn’t expecting it. They had had an earlier conversation discussing what to do with a species that had invaded another’s space and was causing massive death on both sides. Together, they had come to the conclusion that eliminating the invading species was the proper way to solve the problem.

So, when he felt the spike of the other’s power he wasn’t surprised. He was surprised, however, when there seemed to be something fighting that spike, and then the spike was more like a tidal wave.

Kaito was quick to infer the answer: Chaos had decided to intervene. Chaos was a being that he had only met once before. When around him, Kaito had ended up confused enough that his mentor had separated them, leaving Kaito with a headache to nurse for a few days. After he had recovered, he was informed that Chaos was best left alone, as he was the only one that could influence another’s power to the point of no control.

Kaito’s best guess was that Chaos had created the mess they were trying to fix in the first place. So, the new Life rushed to his equal and opposite’s realm to help.

What he found was Shinichi crumpled on the floor, conscious, but obviously in pain, and, not 3 feet away, with rage flashing in his eyes, Chaos.

Kaito first addressed getting rid of the extra factor. Since he could influence the use of another’s power he could prevent his from helping Shinichi. “Leave, Chaos! Before you cause more harm.” The other being only smirked at him before vanishing. Next, Kaito had to focus on Shinichi. He slowly reached out with some of his own power and began soothing Shinichi’s with his own. Kaito watched the other relax and quickly moved closer, “Shinichi, are you alright?”

The other was slow to respond, but when he did it was with a smile. “I am now.”

-<3-

Gaining their own apprentices was an interesting process. Every little detail had to be approved by Fate and Luck both. The two had to be compatible, usually meaning they had to come from the same species and time period. Shinichi and Kaito usually were sitting together at a conference table in Fate’s realm when they had no other duties to attend to.

After the first month of searching, because the candidates they kept choosing were so different, Fate had made it so compatible possibilities would be connected to each other by a list toward the end of their profile.

By the time that Shinichi and Kaito had decided on a matching pair, they were already running behind in the other preparation necessary for their introduction.

-<3-

Introducing a new apprentice to the other-world was a much harder experience than either Kaito or Shinichi remembered their introduction being. But, it very well could have just seemed that way due to being on the opposite side of the preparations. For months ahead of time, they sat down with many of the other beings trying to arrange a schedule to introduce the apprentices to those that would truly be available for them to consult with on decisions that have to be made.

The actual bringing the apprentices to them was easy. Fate cast her spell, and suddenly they were there. Explaining what they were being dragged into? Much, much harder.

“So you’re like, making us immortal?”

“Kind of. Not entirely though. There are restrictions and policies that you will have to follow.”

“What exactly are we supposed to do though? Like do we need to-”

Shinichi cut off this question before it was finished. “You help maintain the balance. It’s not hard. You make sure creatures that die are replaced by living ones and vice versa. And then in a century, you get to teach your own apprentice how to do everything properly to take over for you. And the next few months should give you an idea on how to do that.”

-<3-

Before the ceremony, Aoko planned one last meeting between herself and the leaving Life and Death pair. She had had her first meeting with the apprentices early this morning, and wanted to consult with Kaito and Shinichi before they were to leave for Earth.

When they walked in, with the customary greetings and normal glances toward each other throughout their meeting, Aoko knew that it was time to let these two go be humans and left them with a few final words of wisdom before the next day’s ceremony–Fate never lets her Life and Death pairs get away with not meeting.

-<3-

Shinichi breathed in deeply as he lead his apprentice to the meeting point. The group of four had met many times before, if only in a way to show that Life and Death could have more together than just isolation. However, the catch to this was that they had to be very careful with names during these meetings because the apprentices were not allowed  names until the passing ceremony, and Life could not know Death’s apprentice’s name until the same point and vice versa.

As they approached each other, Shinichi reached out his hand to take Kaito’s. They exchanged smiles before turning to their apprentices.

“After today, you will no longer have us to depend on. Your choices will be your own. If you really need it the others will help you, but you also need to help one another if it comes down to it. You don’t have to become as close as we are, but you do need to at least form a bond of tolerance otherwise the next 100 years or so will not be fun.”

Kaito snickered at Shinichi’s statement, “Trust us. When we were in your spot, we properly met each other once before the ceremony, not that you would think that would be the case.”

The two stared at them for a moment before turning to one another and shaking hands. Satisfied, Shinichi and Kaito turned around and led their apprentices into Fate’s ceremonial chamber hand-in-hand.

-<3-

“Do you, Shinichi Kudou, agree that your apprentice is prepared to take over the symbolic role of Death for at least the next century?”

“I do.”

“Have you, as their mentor, taught them everything you believe they will need to know to take care of this role for the time in which they will fill it.

“I have.”

“Do you, Kaito Kuroba, agree that your apprentice is prepared to take over the symbolic role of Life for at least the next century?”

“I do.”

“Have you, as their mentor, taught them everything you believe they will need to know to take care of this role for the time in which they will fill it.

“I have.”

Fate had Shinichi and Kaito step to the side and had the apprentices step forward and take their places kneeling in the same spot the two had just left.

“Do you promise to take care of your role and perform it to the best of your ability?”

Both apprentices nodded in agreement.

“Do you accept that one day you will be on the opposite side of this ceremony and will have to train an apprentice of your own to take on the role when it is decided it is time to move the titles on?”

The two apprentices once again nodded.

Once fate had recognized their responses, she turned to Shinichi and Kaito. “Are you ready?” At their nod and fleeting glance at one another, she waved her hand, a dazed look came over their faces and the apprentices felt the power transfer. She turned to them, “Did it transfer properly?” They nodded, she snapped her fingers, and Kaito and Shinichi faded from view.

-<3-

“C’mon, Shinichi! You promised you would go to Tropical Land with me! My friend Aoko bought the tickets already! You can’t just let that go to waste!”

Shinchi sighed and put down his copy of A Study in Scarlet. “Ran, I don’t have time to go to Tropical Land this afternoon. I have to go into the office to put the final touches on a police report.”

“Then why haven’t you done it yet? I bet you’ve been reading Holmes all morning. Besides, you never leave a case only needing ‘final touches,’ you always go ahead and finish it.”

Shinichi inwardly grimaced at being caught in the lie. Sometimes he forgot just how freakishly well Ran could read him. “Fine, I’ll go, but–” he was cut off by Ran cheering and attempting to pull him out of his chair, “–but, I’m not doing any of the weird souvenir photo stuff.”

Ran pouted slightly before accepting the compromise and dragging him out the door.

When they finally arrived at the entrance to Tropical Land, it became obvious that Ran was looking for somebody specific before even considering joining the steadily growing queue.

“Ran! Over here!”

Shinichi brought his attention to the call for his friend only to see a girl that he found to be strikingly similar in appearance to Ran and a boy that looked way too familiar for it to be the first time that they had ever met. Had they seen each other before and Shinichi was just having trouble putting the name to the face? No, that couldn’t be it. He always remembered names. Perhaps they frequented the same park and had seen one another in passing? That was more likely.

Shinichi watched the same slightly confused look that was surely on his face form on the other boy’s as Ran dragged him closer to the other pair. Good, so at least he wasn’t the only one that felt some sort of recognition when looking at the other.

When the two pairs stood across from one another, the Ran-look-alike spoke up, “I’m Aoko Nakamori. You must be Shinichi Kudou. Ran has told me a lot about you.” She took a moment to smile at him, which gave Shinichi the chance to see further recognition flash in the other boy’s eyes, before continuing, “And this is my friend–”

“–Kaito Kuroba. It’s a pleasure to meet you,” the boy-Kaito-said as he extended his hand. When Shinichi took it, it was like the world stopped.

Years worth of memories seemed to hit him at once. He could remember doing things that he definitely had not done in this lifetime, but felt right. Him escorting Ran into death’s realm, the first time Shinichi had met Life’s apprentice in that cafe, the awkward meetings that they were sent to toward the end of their mentor’s time, and the many, many escapades they had gotten up to in the ensuing years. Everything that they had done together throughout the last century hit his mind at once, leaving both of their faces warm at some of the more embarrassing moments.

Shinichi thought back to everything that Aoko said shortly before their resignation ceremony. Fate really does tie its Life and Death pairs together forever.

END

Summary: It wasn’t exactly willing but Shinichi thought he could handle the job.
Kaito was surprised that out of everyone he was chosen to take on the role.
At least they both have some life lines.
And maybe… each other?
It’s just my take on a Life and Death AU I’m just bad at summaries.
Written Oct 2018
Next Part>>
Read on AO3

The balance of Life and Death is a fragile thing. That’s the only rule that has stayed consistent in Shinichi’s years of holding his title: the apprentice of Death himself. Of course, it is a title that not many would want to hold, not that many could in the first place. The only reason Shinichi was able to was because of some deal that the Kudou line had made hundreds of years ago due to their uncanny ability to meet the requirements.

He actually found that the day-to-day routine was quite boring. It didn’t help that many people that he used to be friends with had to believe that he was dead. Well, he technically was, but only because of the amount of time he had spent around Death and the dead.

As he headed to his post for the day, welcoming the dead that had joined them overnight, he spotted a girl that he had come to know well. Ran had been the first person that he had personally escorted alone. She was a sweet girl and he had trouble trying to decipher why she had met her end when she did. Her fiance had decided that he didn’t truly want to marry her on the day before their wedding day and had lashed out violently instead of trying to talk it out with her. Shinichi had a feeling that if he had met her before the whole Death’s apprentice thing had taken over his life, she would have had a very different person prepared to marry her. However, such relationships were forbidden between him and the dead, so he would settle for the friendship they had found. He shot her a quick smile and a wave, which were returned, before allowing his work persona to take over.

Shinichi entered the processing area to a scene of a few older women attempting to console a few children that were crying out for their parents. He took a deep breath. Today was going to be a long day.

-<3-

Kaito tended to enjoy his post as the apprentice of Life. Everyday was the constant work of creating something out of nothing, which helped keep his usual boredom at bay. The only regular complaint he had was the small issue of beings that took other’s lives.

He often came to resent them because they added more work to his usual schedule by making them have to take the time to send the dead’s file to, well, Death so that the official report could be made. He didn’t mind when beings died naturally of a sickness or old age because those files would automatically transfer. Don’t misunderstand that he doesn’t care–any loss of life was a reason to mourn–just those that were ‘natural’ didn’t add to his usual work load.

When he was first appointed into his title, he questioned why Life and Death even needed apprentices. Life gave him some long, convoluted answer that basically boiled down to the fact that even though they were semi-immortal beings, they could never ignore their own existence and the forces that they were in control of.

They had to, every century or so, go to Fate to be released from their titles and become mortals together, and eventually they would come to live together for eternity in Death’s realm. From his instruction, he knew that most mortal souls eventually faded, but, due to their complicated existence, not many beings that had previously held the titles of Life and Death had. Kaito easily accepted the answer. It was hard to ignore the balance that their continued existence, for the past however many years, relied on holding.

Kaito had only met the other apprentice once. Their usual messenger was unable to carry the files so they were sent to a common ground to exchange the necessary reports. When he had arrived in the cafe in the mortal world that had been agreed upon, Kaito was very easily able to identify the other. There was just something otherworldly in the other boy’s presence. Kaito found his bright blue eyes striking in the sense that he would never have thought that something so lively could ever be associated with something as dull as death.

If Kaito was honest with himself, the quick meeting left a lot to be desired. He really wanted to get to know the person behind the quick “here,” “thanks,” and the coffee order he had overheard. He didn’t even know the other’s name.

Kaito sighed as the list of creations for the day formed on his desk. Time to get to work.

-<3-

Shinichi had found some free time in his day and quickly made his way out to where Ran usually spent her time. Shinichi liked filling his free time by talking with the dead. It wasn’t uncommon to see him talking to Ran anytime he had a little free time and interacting with others when he had a bit more.

Ran was about the age he was when he left to take the apprentice role. In fact, she kind of reminded him of one of his friends. She was kind of hot-headed, but once you had earned her trust there was a kind of fierce loyalty that Shinichi didn’t think would let anyone ever break a promise they made to her.

“Ran!”

Shinichi saw her look up from whatever she was doing and give him one of her customary smiles. “Hello, Shinichi. It’s nice to see you.”

Shinichi took a second to plop down in the grass next to her before responding. “It’s been a few days, I think, maybe a week, since we last had the chance to talk. What have you been up to?”

Ran looked at him almost appraisingly for a second, “I’ve been with the others recently. I even went to a couple of those parties that you are always complaining about. It wasn’t that bad, a couple of the others did get a bit rowdy, but it was easy to break them up and calm them down.”

“I never really took you as a party-going kind of person.”

“There’s a lot about me that you don’t know yet, Shinichi.” She smiled and laid back so she was staring at the sky, and Shinichi leaned back to join her.

It was something that seemed odd when Shinichi’s first moved to Death’s realm, but the ability to see the stars from here no longer fazed him. Death had explained that the folktales where humans had assumed his realm was underground were odd–something so big could obviously only be in another dimension.

Of course, it took some time for Shinichi himself to accept that it was, so whenever he thought about the conversation it was usually in a sarcastic tone.

Things were silent for a minute and Shinichi had just started to locate some of the still visible constellations when Ran spoke up again. “Shinichi, do you ever think about what would be the difference if we had met before I died? What will happen to you when I eventually fade?”

Shinichi took a moment to look at her before responding. “Sometimes. But if you fade before I give up this position it would only be a few years of remembering that you existed. Why do you ask?”

“Sonoko faded last night.”

A rush of understanding passed through Shinichi. Sonoko was the girl that Ran had confided in almost immediately when she first arrived in Death’s realm. Sonoko was the girl that encouraged Ran to open up to people after she arrived.

It wasn’t hard to see why Ran was so suddenly worried

-<3-

Kaito was forced to step away from his growing list of work when Lady Luck arrived to talk. Lady Luck was one of the few beings that he now knew existed that he had believed in before he had joined them. The current Lady Luck was a girl named Aoko.

Kaito was pretty sure that Aoko as a human girl during her time on earth was somewhat of a spit-fire. She lost her temper easily and tended to refer to herself in the third-person when she became extremely upset. She was also the only person that Kaito could really consider a friend since he got to the “other world.” Though, that was partially because most of the realms were kept separate from one another, and partially due to the fact that he was rarely invited to the bigger meet-ups because of his status of apprentice.

“Hey, Kaito?”

“What’s up Aoko?” He spun around in his chair to see said woman walking into his office.

“I-I just wanted to chat for a bit. I’ve heard some rumors going around and I kind of wanted to know if you had heard any of them.”

Kaito took a moment to think about the more recent rumors and was hard pressed to think of any that had been circulating since the last time Aoko had talked to him about rumors. “The one that Death’s apprentice is dating that dead human girl?”

Aoko giggled a little bit before replying, “No not that one. Good guess though. I actually went and talked to that girl the other day.” she took a second to give kaito a suggestive look, “They aren’t dating. So your so-called destined partner isn’t cheating on you. Don’t worry.”

Kaito felt his face warm up. He didn’t really understand why so many people in the Other realm liked to think about Life and Death as destined romantic partners. It was a common conception in the human realm as well which made him wonder if it had some truth behind it, but that didn’t mean that the idea wasn’t embarrassing.

“I’m talking about the rumor that fate is getting ready to commence the passing ceremony.” At that statement Kaito took a second to remind himself to breathe. The passing ceremony. The hour that it would take for her to cast a few spells that would send the current Life and Death to earth and give the apprentices the full range of their duties.

He officially only had a week and a half to get to know the rest of his duties and come to an agreement of some kind with the other apprentice, may it be an agreement of toleration, friends, lovers, enemies, or solitude.

Summary:Kaito may have fallen asleep before Shinichi got home, but that doesn’t change their plans for Shinichi’s birthday at all.
Written May 2020
Read on AO3

Shinichi closed the door behind him as he entered, welcoming the warmth of the house compared to the pelting rain outside. After slipping off his coat and shoes, he wandered further into the house, towards the TV static he could hear within. Entering the room, he headed to turn off the source of the noise, only to stop himself. Kaito was asleep on the couch, having obviously tried to stay up and wait for Shinichi to return before heading to bed. Shinichi felt a smile slowly form as he watched the light flicker across the other man’s face.

Instead of continuing his path to turn off the TV, Shinichi turned to the impressive stock of movies their combined collection made. After picking one, mostly at random, Shinichi started it and settled into the small space on the couch that Kaito had left. He winced as he noticed he still managed to shift Kaito, but the thief had made no move to wake.

Shinichi half-paid attention to the movie in silence for a while, until he was knocked out of his thoughts by Kaito shifting on his own. “Mm, ‘Nichi?”

Shinichi scoffed, “Who else would break in, start a movie, and sit next to you without turning this into a murder scene?”

Kaito chuckled before responding, “Any of our parents? Aoko or Ran?”

Shinichi shook his head, “Brat.”

“But you love me anyway!”

Shinichi smiled, “Yes, I do.” He pulled Kaito closer until he was almost on top of him, “Now shut up and watch the movie.”

Kaito pouted, “One more thing?”

“Hmm?”

“Happy Birthday.”

Summary: You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray. You’ll never know, dear, how much I love you. Please don’t take my sunshine away.
Written Feb 2020
Read on AO3

“The other night dear, as I lay sleeping, I dreamed I held you in my arms,” Shinichi sang, soft and slow laying in his bed wide awake. It was long past the witching hour, but he had a lot of trouble sleeping these days. He thought a lot about Katio, his laugh, his infectious smile, and the warmth of his body. He sang these lullabies, as tone deaf as he was, in the hopes it would ease him to sleep. When he found singing didn’t help, he began speaking them, and then “You Are My Sunshine” just stuck, looping on repeat, all throughout the night.”But when I woke dear, I was mistaken, so I hung my head and I cried.” Kaito had left almost a month ago. They had been dating for over a year, and Shinichi really loved him, but Kaito left, so maybe he didn’t say it enough, maybe Kaito just didn’t love him back.

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make happy when skies are gray. You’ll never know dear, how much I love you. Please don’t take my sunshine.

“I’ll always love you, and make you happy,” Kaito had teasingly sung to him one time. They had been sitting on the couch when Kaito decided he was bored with Shinichi just reading his book and threw a pillow at him. That, of course, meant war. Shinichi immediately retaliated with a pillow; Kaito knew it was coming so he was able to dodge it. He didn’t expect the second pillow directly after. It hit him square in the face and he made a very comical “oof” noise. Unwilling to allow Shinichi anymore ammo, Kaito opted to keep hold of the pillow and just repeatedly hit Shinichi with it, with no real force, of course. Shinichi managed to grab hold of the pillow, and the force of it pulled Kaito back towards Shinichi, pinning Shinichi underneath Kaito. He was grinning and giggling, Shinichi could feel his heart melt, and he started softly singing to Shinichi, causing his heart to melt even more. “If only you will say the same.” Shinichi, too embarrassed to speak, just nodded.

“But if you leave me and love another, you’ll regret it all one day.” Shinichi told himself, sitting on the same couch, a novel in his hands, but he was unable to focus on the pages, his thoughts filled with the man who left him.

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy when skies are gray. You’ll never know dear, how much I love you. Please don’t take my sunshine away.

“Once once told me, dear, you really loved me,” Shinichi said, looking at himself in the mirror, trying to gather the courage to try to confront the courage to go confront Kaito. Sure they broke up almost half a year ago, but Shinichi still thought about him every day, and the knowledge that Kaito broke up with him over text now just infuriated Shinichi. He didn’t see him in person after that, not even at the KID heists. KID never allowed himself to be within twenty feet of Shinichi, and certainly never alone. He probably didn’t want to get chewed out for breaking up with him over text , yeah, Shinichi was mad. “And no one else could come between,” He nearly choked on the words, remembering the day Kaito came over, visible shaken, but excited all the same, and told Shinichi that Aoko had confessed to him. That’s how the two of them came together after all, they commiserated and consoled each other about their apparently unattainable loves. Kaito was the one who proposed the idea that they should date, at first just to better help one another get over their respective love interests, they had, after all, shared secrets about one another they hadn’t told anyone else. Shinichi thought those dates had evolved into something more, especially considering how intimate they had become with one another. Shinichi’s first kiss was with Kaito, and people say that you never forget your first kiss. A week after Aoko confessed, Shinichi got a text from Kaito saying that he wanted to be with her. He apologized to Shinichi, saying that he enjoyed their time together, but the entire message was so clearly calculated and cold, it left Shinichi numb. “But now you’ve left me and love another,” A lump was forming in Shinichi’s throat, burning. Over text , some gentleman he turned out to be, didn’t even have the decency to tell him in person that he wanted to break up. Aoko didn’t know half the things that Shinichi did, Aoko didn’t even know about Kaito’s alter ego, does he just plan to leave her in the dark for the rest of her life, does he plan to tell her long after he retires, after the statute of limitations runs out just in case she incriminates him? Shinichi can confidently say he loved Kaito more than life, more than he ever loved Ran, he saw a future with Kaito, one where he didn’t have to put his significant other at risk or lie to them. It looked bright. “You have shattered all my dreams,” he whispered to the mirror, his voice giving up on him.

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy when skies are gray. You’ll never know dear, how much I love you. Please don’t take my sunshine away.

“In all my dreams, dear, you seem to leave me. When I awake my poor heart aches.” Shinichi had awoken from another nightmare, his dream, of course, about Kaito. These were by far his worst nightmares. For once, he or the people he loved weren’t in danger, but Kaito would just expose all of Shinichi’s worst fears, leaving Shinichi abandoned and worthless, telling him that’s why he left Shinichi, he was too flawed to love. The worst of those nightmares were the ones that started out sweet. Kaito would be asleep in his arms, or across from him at the dinner table, and he would be kind, like the Kaito Shinichi remembered, gentle and caring. Joking and always doing something with his hands. Then the dream would change, and Kaito would look at him with cold, emotionless eyes, a look he only saw when Kaito would talk about the organization, a look reserved for people he despised. Even in his dreams, Shinichi could feel his stomach drop at that look. It has been almost a year and Shinichi still had these dreams. Everyone around Shinichi has noticed that something has changed, but because Kaito and Shinichi kept their relationship secret since they had no reasonable excuse as to how the two would have met, Shinichi couldn’t tell them about the heartache. Shinichi thinks Ran knows, though. Ran looks at him with pity, and encourages him to try to go out on dates, they had fallen into a comfortable friendship since his return and Ran had begun dating other people, something Shinichi was relieved he found he didn’t feel jealous about. Shinichi had contemplated dating again, but nothing ever felt right, not like being with Kaito did. So now, here he was again, one of the few nights he was able to fall asleep and he woke up from a nightmare. He knew he wouldn’t be able to fall back asleep so he stared up at his dark ceiling, letting out a long sigh. He needed to talk to Kaito, he at least needed to find some closure, but he desperately wished for more. All he knew was that he couldn’t live without Kaito in his life anymore. “So when you come back,” he whispered, hoping the when was the right word to use, not an if, a when, “and make me happy,” Shinichi desperately wanted to be happy and just seeing Kaito probably could make him, “I’ll forgive you dear,” he didn’t care that Kaito broke up with him over text anymore, he didn’t care that Kaito would never look him in the eye, he didn’t care that he avoided Shinichi like the plague, he just wanted him in his life again, “I’ll take all the blame.” And he would. It was Shinihchi’s fault he didn’t cherish Kaito enough, of course he would go back to Aoko, Shinichi was terrible with expressing his affection, he tried, but it never seemed to be enough, and it certainly didn’t match what Kaito showed Shinichi. He would try to see Kaito, try to make up for it. He needed too.

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy when skies are gray. You’ll never know dear, how much I love you. Please don’t take my sunshine away.

Shinichi was shaking, standing outside of Kaito’s house, trying to find the courage to ring the bell. It had taken him so long just to get himself to Ekoda, let alone Kaito’s street, so he knew he couldn’t turn back now. Shinichi took one last breath and pressed the bell. The faint ding-dong he heard just behind the door was like a hammer driving a stake into his heart. He felt sick, his stomach was a bottomless pit, a black hole placed into his core. He was so consumed by fear that he didn’t hear the footsteps approaching. The door unlocked, opened, and a voice spoke.

“Shinichi?” Shinichi didn’t realize he had been staring at the ground until his head jerked upward to face the voice. And there stood Kaito. He looked tired, but his eyes were still that fascinating shade of blue that held so much life, although Shinichi could see the question swimming in them, wondering why he was here.

“Hi,” his voice came out rough, a near whisper.

“What are you doing here?” Kaito stood back from the door, making way for Shinichi to come in, but it wasn’t an explicit invitation, and Shinichi didn’t take it.

“I just, uh… I really needed to see you.” He tried to meet Kaito’s eyes, but he didn’t have the courage. “I know it’s been almost a year, but you never let me talk to you at heists and it didn’t feel right to just text you about it, I didn’t know if you blocked me, I wouldn’t have blamed you if you did, so I just wanted to talk.” He had rambled, he hated it when he did that. He was still looking at his shoes, and Kaito wasn’t saying anything, why wasn’t he saying anything? Did Shinichi’s rambling make Kaito hate him? Did he shut the door in Shinichi’s face and he just hadn’t noticed? Shinichi wanted to look up, just to make sure Kaito was still there, but he didn’t want to see a look of disgust on his face.

“Shinichi…” Gentle hands caressed the sides of Shinichi’s face and guided his head up. Kaito smiled a sad smile when Shinichi finally gave in, he kept his hands on Shinichi’s face.

“Hows’s Aoko?” Shinichi asked, he couldn’t think of anything better to say. He regretted it when he saw Kaito flinch at the words.

“We broke up.”

“Oh…”

“Yeah…”

“…When?”

“About a month after we started dating, we just…it…it wasn’t right.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

“You shouldn’t be!” Kaito half-shouted. He sighed, his face scrunched in frustration. “I… I fucked up, Shinichi. And I’m sorry.”

“You have nothing to be sorry about.” Well, Shinichi’s brain supplied, He did break up with you over text .

“I have a lot to be sorry for, for starters, I broke up with you over text.”

“Yeah, that was kinda a dick move.”

“I know! I knew it was when I wrote the damn thing out! But I just couldn’t say it to you in person. You should see all the drafts I have, it’s honestly embarrassing.”

“As long as you didn’t do that to the next girl, I think you’ll be fine.” A smile crept its way onto Shinichi’s lips, it was bittersweet, but talking to Kaito was so easy, this felt right. Shinichi could feel the weight of the past year lift off of him. It was such a relief he felt like he could cry.

“That’s the other thing I’m sorry about.”

“Huh?”

“Breaking up with you was a mistake, Shinichi. I was stupid to do it. When Aoko confessed to me, I felt like everything I had ever dreamed of was coming true! But even before we started dating, I kept finding myself wanting to text you about something, or wanting to see you, or wanting to tell Aoko, or anyone really, about something we did or just about you! I convinced myself it was just because we had spent so much time together, that the feelings I had for you were just because I wasn’t dating Aoko. I was wrong, Shinichi, I loved you and I was too stubborn to realize it. After dating Aoko for just a week I realised that every moment I spent with her, I would rather be spending it with you. All this time I’ve just been too chickenshit to talk to you. I didn’t know how to tell you sorry. Hell, I didn’t know if you would even let me see you.”

“…You still love me?”

“I don’t think I ever stopped loving you.” Shinichi felt tears well up in his eyes. He started fighting to get air past the lump in his throat. Shinichi lurched forward and buried his face in Kaito’s shoulder, wrapping his arms tight around him. Kaito’s arms quickly reciprocated. “Do you forgive me?” There was a warble in Kaito’s voice, Shinichi recognized the sound of holding back tears only if he had been doing it all year. Shinichi didn’t want his own voice to break, so he just nodded his head furiously from its place in Kaito’s shoulder. Kaito squeezed him harder, and Shinichi could feel warm droplets of water fall onto his shoulder. Shinichi pulled away so he could look at Kaito.

“This is the only other chance you get, okay, asshole?” Kaito laughed, and Shinichi couldn’t help but think how pretty he looked, tears falling down his face and all.

“That’s the only chance I need.” Kaito pulled his hands up to cup Shinichi’s face and he pulled the detective into a kiss. “You’re like sunshine, Shinichi, you make my whole world brighter. I never realised it until I lost you.”

“You know,” Shinichi smiled, wiping away the tears from Kaito’s eyes, “I can say the same thing about you.”

Summary: Prompt Fill: Whumptober 2019 No.1 - Shaky Hands
Written October 2019
Read on AO3

Kaito was already in bed when Shinichi got back. It wasn’t too unusual, Shinichi’s cases sometimes caused him to stay out late, so Kaito wasn’t usually too worried. What did worry him was the way Shinich’s hand was trembling when he placed it on Kaito’s.

“Love?” Kaito murmured, causing Shinichi to jump a little, he probably thought he was asleep. “Are you okay?”

“Fine,” Shinichi said hurriedly, pulling his hand away. Kaito grumbled in response and pulled himself up, turning on a bedside lamp casting the room in a soft yellow glow. Shinichi looks pale, and he’s avoiding looking at Kaito. He’s holding one hand in the other, presumably to try to stop the tremors that are running through them.

“Hey,” Kaito said, his voice raspy from sleep, “Look at me.” He took Shinichi’s hands, and Shinichi let him, a shaky smile on his face when he met Kaito’s eyes.

“It was just…a long night.”

“Clearly,” Kaito snorted, trying to lighten the mood while he also rubbed circles into Shinichi’s hands. “Not much frazzles the great Detective of the East.” Shinichi gave him a small, genuine smile at that, but he didn’t speak and Kaito didn’t push him. They sat in silence for a while, Kaito slowly coaxing Shinichi more onto the bed and closer to Kaito until he could pull him into an embrace, still holding onto his hands.

“I shot a man today,” Shinichi finally said, his face was pressed against Kaito’s shoulder, so the words came out muffled. Kaito didn’t say anything, hoping Shinichi would take the silence as the invitation that it was. “We were taking him into custody for being a suspect for a double homicide when he pulled a weapon. He grabbed one of the other officers as a hostage, and I knew none of the others had a steady enough aim to reliably handle the situation, and the officer looked so scared I-” Shinichi gulped in air, trying to collect himself while Kaito combed his fingers through his lover’s hair. “He was still alive when the ambulance arrived, but he’s in critical condition. The officer was so grateful, but I… I could have killed someone today.”

“You saved someone’s life,” Kaito replied, feathering kisses on Shinichi’s cheeks and forehead.

“If I had been more careful, she wouldn’t have needed saving.” Kaito pulled back to properly look at Shinichi. His eyes were full of guilt.

“You can’t blame yourself, Shinichi. There were other people on the scene, they all knew who they were possibly arresting, somethings just happen.”

“But I-!”

“But nothing!” Kaito squished Shinichi’s cheeks, forcing the detective to stop talking. “You, Kudou Shinichi, saved a life today. Maybe you had to do something that you’re not proud of in the process, but you’re options were limited and there was a life in danger. I’m sure no one in Division One thinks you did anything wrong. I know that officer certainly doesn’t.” Shinichi took in a stuttering breath and pressed his head into Kaito again. Kaito scratched his back and hummed lightly as he let Shinichi cry into him. Far too often, Shinichi had to be his rock. Kaito loved to be able to be the same for him. He was so grateful that Shinichi trusted him enough to let him see this side of his detective. Shinichi’s hands were still shaking from where they were gripping onto Kaito’s shirt, so Kaito took them and presses kisses all over them, the palms, the knuckles, the backs, he laid kisses on from fingertip to wrist, going over each hand twice before he pulled Shinichi down to lay together. Kaito massaged his lover’s hands until Shinichi fell asleep and he continued to do so until he, too, was taken by the night.

Summary: It’s like the Parent Trap but it’s their best friends and not their parents.
Written Aug 2019
Read on AO3

Ran was just picking up some coffee, because God knows Shinichi will need it, when she saw herself walk into the cafe. Well, it was kind of her. The girl was about her height, maybe a little shorter, her hair much more messy, and her eyes a little darker, but they could have been sisters, maybe even twins. They made eye contact and Ran knew she had to talk to this girl.

 She patiently waited at a table near the door as the other girl ordered her drink, she could tell by the way she kept glancing over that she was interested in speaking to her doppleganger. Ran watched eagerly as the barista handed the to-go cup over the counter. The girl thanked the employee and turned to head for the door, she was still glancing at Ran, no matter how hard she tried to make it seem like she wasn’t. “Excuse me,” Ran called, making eye contact with the girl, “Can I talk to you for a moment?” The other girl looked slightly embarrassed, but she made her way over. “I’m sorry if this is strange,” Ran began as the other girl sat down, “but I just had the feeling that I had to get to know you.”

 "Not at all!“ the other girl replied. Her voice was similar to Ran’s, but she spoke in a more energetic tone. "I was so shocked when I walked in and saw myself, I knew I had to talk to you.”

 "I’m glad we’re on the same page,“ Ran giggled, "My name is Mouri Ran, but you can just call me Ran if you like.” The girl had a bright smile, she wore all her emotions on her sleeve.

 "I’m Nakamori Aoko, but you can call me Aoko, Ran.“ In that moment, Ran was certain that she and Aoko were destined to become good friends.

 They talked about everything. Ran talked about karate, which Aoko found awe-inspiring. Both talked about their fear of ghosts, as well as commiserating over their father’s profession. Starting on one topic lead to another, which sent them down a rabbit hole into niche topics that they couldn’t believe they agreed upon. Ran felt relieved she had decided to wait on buying Shinichi’s coffee until after she talked to Aoko, she knew the sleep-deprived goblin Shinichi became during long cases would drink it cold, but Ran liked to maintain some of her best friend’s humanity if she could. Speaking of best friends, Ran checked her phone and cursed under her breath.

 "I’m so sorry, Aoko, but Shinichi expected me almost an hour ago now and I’m worried that if I don’t see him soon he’ll get too absorbed into work again.”

 "Shinichi?“ Aoko asked, a confused look gracing her face before it turned into a teasing smirk, "Is he your boyfriend?”

 "What?“ Ran laughed, not having heard someone refer to her best friend that way in quite some time, "No, nothing like that, he’s by best friend, has been since we were kids.”

 "Like Kaito and I!“ Aoko eyes lit up, "Ran, we have way too much in common. Please don’t tell me your childhood best friend is also a world traveling magician.”

 "No, he’s the opposite actually, he works as a consulting detective with the TMPD, ‘just like Holmes’,“ Ran said, in her best Shinichi interpretation, which made Aoko laugh.

 "I’m glad we have one thing that isn’t in common,” Aoko said, “Kaito is a magician, like his dad, I’m proud of him, but he only ever comes back to Japan for a few days at a time, I miss him.” Aoko’s smile turned melancholic as she reached into her bag. “Before he set off on his first tour of Europe, I complained that I barely had any photos of him, 'Phone pictures aren’t enough, BaKaito! What happens if something happens to it!’” She pulled a torn, folded photograph out of her wallet, “Then he gave me this, I don’t know why he tore it, but this is the happiest I’ve seen him, ever, I think.” Aoko delicately unfolded the photograph, Ran’s first thought was of how similar to Shinichi Kaito looked. Her second was how familiar the photo seemed.

 Kaito wore a tailored black suit, there was a red rose on his lapel shiny gold band on his finger. He was seated in some kind of office, which seemed unnatural for his state of dress. Most intriguing was how the photo was ripped; Kaito seemed to be leaning toward somebody toward the left, but there was only the ripped edge. “I have no idea where this was taken,” Aoko said, staring at the photo intently, “and I don’t know why he’s dressed like that, especially the ring, he usually keeps his hands free of jewelry in case they mess up a trick.” A light bulb went off in Ran’s head.

 She began furiously digging around in her bag, desperate to find her own wallet. Why it took her so long to make the connection, she didn’t know. “Ran, is there something wrong?” Aoko’s concerned voice asked, but Ran was too focused on her task. She pulled out her wallet and quickly opened one of the small pockets, pulling out a folded up photograph of her own. She quickly unfolded it, revealing the image. Like Aoko’s, it was torn on one side, and depicted her best friend, sitting in a fancy suit in some kind of office, a gold band on his ring finger. Delicately, Ran placed them next to one another, the torn edges matching perfectly. They both sat in stunned silence for a moment.

 "I think we have something else in common,“ Ran said, meeting Aoko’s equally as shocked gaze.

 Kuroba Kaito and Kudou Shinichi fell in love, fast. In a whirlwind of emotions, only after half a year of dating they got married. It was a secret affair, too embarrassed to admit to their friends that they had been seeing someone at all, let alone married. They were planning on introducing their friends to one another, but that was for a later time, at least, it was supposed to be.

 Kuroba Kaito and Kudou Shinichi fell out of love, fast. They barely knew one another, they kept secrets from one another, and in a whirlwind of emotion, Kuroba Kaito hopped on a plane and left the country. The divorce papers came soon after. No one had known the two had been married, and the two never spoke about it. If they suddenly made great strides in pursuing their careers, their friends chalked it up to their dedicated nature.

 That was, of course, until Nakamori Aoko and Mouri Ran met.

 "I can’t believe that Shinichi would get married and not tell me.” Ran growled, “I can’t believe that I didn’t notice!”

 "It’s not just you, Ran,“ Aoko replied, a murderous look on her face, "I can’t believe it either.” Ran sighed looking at the photo again. They had matched up timelines of when they thought this could have happened. They decided that it had been several years ago, they looked younger in the picture, before they had thrown themselves into their careers. The point in time when they both dove head first into the thick of their jobs matched up too, Kaito left for Europe at the same time Shinichi took on a heavier case load. Ran felt stupid for not pressing him about it, she knew he looked troubled around that time, but she brushed it off as inconsequential.

 "I’m such an idiot.“ Aoko interrupted Ran’s thoughts. "When Kaito told me he was leaving for Europe, I knew he was upset about something, he had been upset and angry for months, but I never asked. On the day he left, he just seemed sad.”

 "They look so happy,“ Ran looked at her best friend’s frozen face, his smile wide and genuine, a light blush on his cheeks, Ran can’t remember the last time he smiled like that, "I wonder what happened.”

 "I wonder if they miss each other.“ Aoko added, "Kaito always says he’s too busy for love, that he doesn’t want to have to choose between work and a significant other, but he always looks pained when he says it. He thinks I don’t notice, but I always do.”

 "Shinichi’s dated, but it never seems to stick, despite his mother’s best efforts. This might be why. It’s a shame he’s too stubborn to admit it and try to make amends,“ Ran laughed.

 "So we make them.”

 "What?“ Ran looked up at Aoko, her new friend’s eyes alight with a plan.

 "We make them,” Aoko repeated. “It they’re too stubborn to see one another, we make a reason for them to see one another.” Well, Ran was intrigued; she motioned for Aoko to continue. “Ran, we look nearly identical, if I try hard enough I could easily make my hair look like yours, and a bit of roughing up can make yours look like mine, our eyes are nearly the same color and we are about the same height and weight. In order to see if each other’s best friend is worthy of the other, and to force them to see one another again, we switch places.”

 "You want me to be you?“ Ran said, her brain still working out how the whole thing would work.

 "Exactly,” Aoko was all confidence, “I’m leaving to meet Kaito in Paris in about a week from now, you go in my place, get to know him, and, when the time is right, tell him who you are. I’ll stay here, take your place, spend time with Shinichi, and decide whether or not to get them back together.”

 "Aoko,“ Ran looked at her sternly, "This plan is insane. I love it.”

 "Well, I better get good at being you.“

 "Ran! What took you so long!” Shinichi whined as his best friend let herself into his library. He had himself draped over the sofa so that he was staring at her upside down, a book resting open on his chest.

 "I was making friends.“ Ran replied.

 "With the barista? If you’re trying to convince them to make you free coffee, let me tell you that it doesn’t work. That’s why Miki and I broke up.”

 "Because you only dated her to get free coffee?“

 "You don’t have to put it that way.” Shinichi pouted at her. All of his relationships were this superficial, so Ran isn’t surprised at his motive especially she was the fifth barista he tried to date. It made more sense now that she knew he had been married. Her best friend looked nothing like the one in the picture, his faced was creased with worry lines and his eyes had permanent bags under them. She was surprised to find him reading instead of working on a case, it was all he seemed to do anymore, when he’s not busy hitting on baristas.

 "Come on, sit up,“ She instructed, making her way over to the couch. "I remembered your coffee.”

 "You’re the best.“ Shinichi sat up and greedily snatched the cup. "Ekoda really has the best coffee shops.”

 "You can always go yourself you know,“ Ran reminded him. If she wasn’t looking for it, she would have missed the way his body tensed. Kaito lived in Ekoda, Ran had learned, which made Shinichi’s aversion to the area much clearer.

 "It’s too far to go for coffee, I need to be here in case the TMPD needs me.” Ran hummed in acknowledgement. The library was a mess as always. The desk was littered with case files; a few stacks had coffee mugs as the foundation. Loose papers lay nearby sporting Shinichi’s handwriting; they were notes on different cases as well as a few doodles, which he sometimes does to help him think. She should probably tidy things up a little while she’s here. Maybe probe for information while she does.

 "So,“ she began, conversationally, "Is there anyone new who hasn’t been a barista?” Ran moved the folders off the desk in order to clear away the dirty mugs.

 "Hmm, not really.“ Shinichi looked bored, he always did when Ran tried to talk about relationships.

 "Not really doesn’t sound like a no.”

 "My mom is setting me up with someone again, that’s all.“

 "Well, I can’t blame her. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in a serious relationship, Shinichi. Don’t you ever want to get married?” Ran held her breath and studied her best friend carefully, there was a small look of pain on his face that he quickly replaced with boredom.

 "Eventually,“ Shinichi said, his tone perfectly neutral, "I’m just waiting to make sure it’s to the right person.” Unlike last time, Ran thought. Whether his ex-husband was a good match or not was still to be determined, but they had clearly made a mistake marrying one another when they did.

 "I get to be your maid of honor, right?“ Ran said teasingly, although she was still a bit peeved about being left out on his first wedding.

 "Of course,” Shinichi held eye contact, a look of concern on his face; he must have picked up on her anger. “I couldn’t imagine a ceremony without you by my side.” His sincerity startled Ran a little, she had only meant it as a joke. Which begged the question, what had happened the first time?

 "Aoko!“ Kaito whined from the other end of a phone, "What took you so long? You promised to call me hours ago!” Aoko imagined the exaggerated pout on her best friend’s face and laughed.

 "I was getting coffee at that little cafe you like so much. I made a friend while I was there.“

 "With a barista? If you’re trying to get free coffee, those baristas are won’t crack, trust me, I’ve tried.”

 "Of course you have. I was also double checking my flight info for next week.“

 "I can’t believe it’s next week! I haven’t seen you in forever!” Kaito’s excitement warmed Aoko’s heart, and made her feel a little bad for lying. She had actually changed the ticket into Ran’s name. They might look alike, but Aoko wouldn’t risk Ran getting stopped by customs. “Honestly, Aoko, you need to come visit me more often.”

 "I’m not made of money, Kaito.“

 "I’ve told you! I will buy your tickets, it’s the least I could do!”

 "I’m not going to make you do that Kaito,“ and thankfully, she hasn’t she wouldn’t be able to get Ran the ticket otherwise. "I don’t care how well off you might be, I can buy the ticket so I will.”

 "Fine,“ Kaito huffed, "All that really matters is that you’re coming.”

 "Oh? Are you eager to show me your secret fiancée or something?“ Aoko could hear the small intake of breath on Kaito’s end, unnoticeable if she had been breathing.

 "I’ve told you, I’m not ready to get married. I don’t want to put myself in a position where I have to choose work or marriage.” Like last time? Aoko thought. She didn’t know why the two of them got married, but it definitely changed Kaito. He used to be a hopeless romantic, despite the image his constant flirting gave off, now he was reserved and wouldn’t allow himself to develop feelings for anyone. If this Shinichi turned out to be a bad person, he would pay dearly for what he did to Kaito.

 The next week went by in a flash. The two girls met up every day, for hours at a time. They took notes and quizzed one another about their lives, their likes and dislikes, what words they would use when faced with different situations, it was quite the intensive. They went out one day and bought new shoes, both with a heel, Aoko’s a little taller to match Ran’s height as closely as possible. They also went to a salon and cut their hair to a matching length to make up for any disparity between them. After that, they practiced styling their hair to look like the other’s. It was a startling sight. The night before Ran flew to France, she stayed at Aoko’s house, finalizing the other’s schedule and doing final checks. Aoko packed Ran’s suitcase so she would be wearing clothes Kaito could identify as Aoko’s, and Ran gave Aoko half of her own wardrobe, just in case. “Aoko’s” trip was supposed to last for a month, so they wanted to be prepared.

 Then the day was upon them. Aoko saw Ran off at the airport, which was strange since they had swapped styles. Aoko had plans to meet Shinichi for lunch that afternoon, and Kaito was meeting Ran as soon as she landed, so they had to look the part. The non-stop flight was 12 hours, so she could only try to get some shut eye, hope the jet lag didn’t hit her too hard, and pray that the “Detective of the East” didn’t notice he wasn’t eating with a stranger.

 Aoko really hoped Shinichi wouldn’t notice he was eating with a stranger. They really needed this scheme to last for at least a week, it wasn’t long, but they should be able to get a hold on who the ex-husband of their best friend was. Aoko arrived early, per Ran’s instruction, but it only allowed her anxiety to fester. Shinichi was some hot-shot detective, not unlike Hakuba, so the bar on disguises was nothing to scoff at. It was also weird to refer to someone she had never met by their first name, but they were childhood best friend’s now, so what the heck. Aoko could do this, she had seen plenty of spy movies, and Ran was thorough in the “Mouri Ran Crash course”.

 "I’m sorry I’m late.“ A man sat down across from Aoko. She instantly recognized him as Shinichi, as she now had quite the substantial library of reference images courtesy of Ran. What Aoko was not prepared for, was the intensity of those piercing blue eyes in person. It was like they could see through her, to the rouse she was pulling. She resisted the temptation to come out and admit that she wasn’t who she said she was, she had to do this, for Ran, for Kaito.

 "It’s fine, Shinichi, really. You say that every time.” Speaking in a voice that wasn’t quite her own had been a challenge, one that she know held her breath to see if she overcame.

 "I know I do, but I am really sorry.“

 Score.

 "Like I said, Shinichi, it’s okay. You’re busy, I get it, I’m just glad you show up at all.” Aoko gave him a warm smile. Ran had trained her in this exact scenario, it seems this is the usual way they start a lunch date. The smile Shinichi gave her in return made her see how Kaito could have fallen for him.

 "Well, at least let me treat you to lunch.“

 "I certainly wouldn’t protest to that.”

 After lunch, which was a delightful meal in a cute little cafe Aoko had never been to before, they went for a walk, window shopping and talking. Aoko remembered all of the stores Ran had said she would most definitely force Shinichi to go in to, the kinds of things Ran said she would stop to admire, the kinds of small talk she would make and how she would respond to the comments Shinichi made, she was incredibly proud of her performance. Until, “Hey, Ran? Can I ask you something?”

 "Of course, Shinichi, what is it?“ Shinichi looked at her, his eyes seemed to not look at her, but at the parts of her, like she was a painting and Shinichi was an incredibly harsh critic. Aoko pushed down the panic.

 "You seem… tense today. Is something wrong?” Well, at least he hadn’t called her out for not being Ran, she could handle this, she was tense after all. She forced herself to relax and smile at him.

 "I’m just a little stressed right now, that’s all, but hanging out with you really helps.“ That wasn’t quite a lie, so far, Shinichi has been nothing but kind, making her laugh, treating her, indulging her fancies with only the half-hearted protest, he made her feel at ease.

 "That would explain the haircut, and all the shopping you’re doing, those are new shoes, aren’t they?” Well, Aoko wouldn’t complain if that’s how Shinichi decided to write off the changes in “Ran’s” appearance.

 "I just felt like a change, that’s all,“ Aoko pouted and played with a strand of hair.

 "It’s cute,” Shinichi said with a smile, playfully ruffling her hair, which prompted Aoko to swat his hand away. The small laugh he gave in return really reminded her of Kaito. So did the way his face fell as he turned away from her. They walked in silence for a bit before he spoke again. “Ran, have you been on a date recently?” Aoko was a bit taken aback, but this was a golden opportunity to get the man’s opinions about love straight from him, and Ran had prepared her for these sorts of questions.

 "No, not recently, why, have you?“

 "Yeah, my mom made me meet up with some girl the other day. Her dad knows my mom, apparently he owns some fashion magazine and they swear up and down she is going to be the next big thing in the industry.”

 "Who is 'they’?“

 "All of them. Mom, her father, her, all of the blogs and articles on her I looked at after Mom gave me her name.”

 "Well, how was the date?“ Aoko could hear the anticipation in her voice, she was just hoping Shinichi didn’t.

 "It was a date,” Shinichi shrugged, a bored look on his face, “We had dinner, she talked about her dreams, mentioned how rich I was, gushed about how brave I must be for working in homocide and how she 'could never bear to see another human being who had died in such an awful way.’” The way he said the last part was with as much drama as you could expect from an actress’ son.

 "But did you like her?“

 "Well, I guess? I mean, she was a model, so of course she was pretty, and she was polite in conversation, although she did find some way to mention how rich my family was every couple of minutes. I’m going on another date with her next Wednesday, so we’ll see if the conversation improves any.” A second date? Ran said most don’t last a whole one! It was probably just because his mom was making him, but something about the situation didn’t sit right with Aoko.

 "You better tell me all about it.  I expect a full report on Thursday.“

 "Yes ma'am.” Shinichi laughed, but the way it didn’t quite reach his eyes was far too much like Kaito.

 Kaito was an absolute bundle of energy. As soon as Ran walked out into the baggage claim, she was swept up into somebody’s arms. “Aoko!” the voice cheered, and Ran was glad she was able to suppress her first instinct, which was to take whoever decided to touch her down. Craning her head to the side, she could see the man who had picked her up. He had a brilliant, 100 watt smile and his mischievous eyes were just a shade off of purple. He was clearly Kuroba Kaito, rising star in the magic world, and Ran instantly liked him. “I missed you so much.”

 "I missed you too, but you better put me down before I make you.“ Kaito, unintimidated, gave her another squeeze before gently putting her down. Ran felt bad she had threatened him, but that’s how Aoko said she would greet him. She turned to face the magician, once again captivated by how earnestly happy he was to see her, was he this joyful around Shinichi? Did he greet her best friend with such a warm and caring expression?

 "You cut your hair,” Kaito stated letting himself look at her properly for the first time as well, “It’s short, but I like it.” Ran pulled at some strands self-consciously, it had been a long time since she had cut her hair so short.

 "Thanks,“ she replied, her cheeks flushing ever so slightly.

 "Aw, Aoko, are you embarrassed? You didn’t get all dolled up for me, did you?”

 "BaKaito,“ Ran responded in the fashion Aoko instructed, "Last time I herad, you weren’t interested in dating, I got dolled up for all the handsome French boys I’m going to meet.”

 "Aoko! You wound me! Am I not a handsome French boy? I’ve lived here for more than half a decade now. Besides, I can go on dates with people, I just won’t get into any serious relationship.“ His expression changed ever so slightly as he said it, like the joy that was there so effortlessly before had to be forced to keep its place. Ran knew that expression, it was just like Shinichi’s when he spoke about romance. Ran hated that look.

 "Well come on then 'handsome French boy’, take this girl out to get something to eat, I’m starving!”

 "As you wish.“ Kaito smoothly brought Ran’s hand up to lay a kiss across her knuckles, a teasing look in his eyes, and, yeah, Ran could see how Shinichi could fall in love with him.

 Ran spent two weeks with Kaito before she got the call. It had been a wonderful time, accompanying Kaito to his performances to different venues across France, hanging out afterwords, eating all kinds of new food, visiting museums, it was the vacation she needed. With each passing day Ran fel more in love with Kaito, platonically, of course. He was charming and sweet and just a bit mischeious. Most importantly, in Ran’s eyes he cared so deeply about those around him. Not only did he dedicate all of this time to "Aoko”, but after shows he would spend time talking with the audience, answering questions, taking photos, being genuinely interested in their lives. He was kind to the store clerks and waiters as well, always smiling with them and making small talk without seeming patronizing or overbearing. He carried joy with him, wherever he went, spreading it to others whenever possible, yet there was still sadness lingering in his eyes, just like Shinichi.

 She saw it there, but only because she was so used to having watch Shinichi for those same signs, the subtle way smiles won’t reach the eyes, the melancholy that comes and goes in the blink of an eye, getting lost in thoughts and then brushing off her questioning. He didn’t want her to get involved in his sadness. Aoko said he was a hopeless romantic, but the look in his eyes when they would wander to a couple at a different table, the way they would laugh with one another, Ran could see the sad longing in his eyes. Ran suspected he hadn’t completely forgotten about Shinichi. Especially considering what happened the day before the call.

 They had decided to spend the night at Ran’s hotel, indulging in the luxury of delivery chain pizza and cheap alcohol. They were just relaxing, watching whatever random movies crossed the screen, which Ran couldn’t understand so Kaito dramatically translated. It was just dumb fun. Then Kaito had a few too many beers. It didn’t matter, he was planning on spending the night in Ran’s extra bed, but Ran quickly learned that he was an emotional drunk.

 "How come they get to be in love,“ Kaito complained, groaning at the couple that was currently making out on screen. He had stopped translating a beer and a half ago, so Ran didn’t really know what this movie was about, but the man had just clearly proposed, which then prompted Kaito’s rant. "It’s not fair! I tried so hard, but did I get a happily ever after? Nooooooooo sir.” Then he started crying. Ran was beginning to get concerned. “Aoko,” he sobbed, “Did I do something wrong? I did my best, but was I just not good enough?”

 "Kaito, I think you’ve had enough to drink now.“ Ran used the gentlest voice she could, the one she saves for children, and an equally drunk and upset Shinichi. "I’m sure you did your best, but maybe it was the other person who didn’t try hard enough.” Ran didn’t doubt that, Shinichi could get sucked into his investigation and ignore everything around him, he could have fell head first into an investigation and blocked everything else out, including his husband, as much as she hated to believe he could.

 "No!“ Kaito sat up and stared at her with large, innocent eyes, "It wasn’t their fault! Sure, they would forget sometimes, but they would always make it up to me. They tried their best, too. I know they did.” Kaito sniffled some more. Ran was shocked, she didn’t expect him to defend his ex, but the look in his eyes was clear. He believed in Shinichi, whole-heartedly, and he was still in love.

 "Come on, Kaito. I think it’s time we go to bed, what do you say?“ She offered her hand to the boy and pulled him up from where he has slumped on the couch. She helped him to the bathroom to brush his teeth, then made sure he didn’t collapse before she got him onto the bed. He hit the pillow and was asleep before Ran made it back to the bathroom for her own nightly routine. She let out a sigh, she made her decision a while ago, but this set it in stone. Ran liked Kaito, and she thinks Shinichi is a fool for ever letting him go. She has to at least try to get them to reconcile, she didn’t know about fixing their marriage, but it was at least a place to start. Ran decided she could think about it in the morning.

 Ran didn’t have the time to think about it in the morning. Ran woke up to the sound of her phone ringing. She had a slight hangover, and it had just turned 10 in the morning. She groaned and pulled her phone over. The caller ID read "Ran”. Ran instantly woke up, she hopped up and ran to the bathroom, closing the door gently behind herself as she answered the phone. “Hello?” she answered in a quiet voice.

 "Ran, we have an emergency,“ Aoko said in a panicked voice on the other end of the phone.

 "What’s wrong? Is Shinichi hurt? Was he kidnapped again?” Ran’s voice began to rise, panic twisting in her gut.

 "He’s fine, but this is worse, in a way.“

 "Aoko, hurry, tell me what’s wrong!”

 "Ran, Shinichi is engaged.“

 "What?” Ran asked, but her voice was devoid of emotion.

 "It gets worse,“ Aoko continued, "The wedding day is in two weeks.”

 Aoko stood in the bathroom, listening to the silence on the other end of the phone. She was glad it was deserted as the patrons of such a high class place might not enjoy hearing about Aoko’s current crisis. Really, she just thought Shinichi wanted to treat her to a nice meal to make up for missing breakfast the other morning. That was one of the great things about Shinichi, he always tried to make up for even the slightest inconvenience. It wasn’t his fault he missed breakfast either, the TMPD had all of their staff finishing up preparations for a huge drug bust they were pulling off that morning, Shinichi had been in the station for over 12 hours when he called Aoko to apologize for missing the date, just about the same time her dad texted her to complain about having to be brought in to help the team prepare.

 She let out a sigh, Ran still in shock on the other end, and thought about the two weeks that lead up to this moment. She and Shinichi hang out constantly, and if they weren’t together, Shinichi was working, or so she thought. She forgot all about the second date that Shinichi went on with the model his mom had set him up with. That Thursday, Aoko went over to have breakfast at Shinichi’s before they went to go see a new detective movie that was released early that week.

 "How did the date go?“ Aoko had asked that morning, watching Shinichi rub the sleep out of her eyes, hopefully distracting him from the way she fumbled around the unfamiliar kitchen trying to get a pot of coffee brewing.

 "Mmm, fine,” was Shinichi’s sleep tinged reply. Aoko finally managed to get the coffee maker going and Shinichi moved toward the machine in a zombie like fashion, apparently drawn to just the mere noise of a coffee machine starting. Aoko laughed and waited until he had had a couple of sips before continuing her question. One thing she had quickly learned was just how bad of a morning person he was.

 "No, really, Shinichi, tell me about her,“ Aoko pressed, nudging his arm in a playful manner.

 "Have I told you she’s pretty?” Shinichi began, eyeing Aoko like he really wasn’t sure.

 "Yeah, you said she was going to be the next big thing in the fashion industry.“

 "No, I said everyone else said she was going to be the next big thing. But, yeah, she has the looks to get noticed, that’s for sure, and with the connections her father has, it wouldn’t surprise me if she makes it big.”

 "So, do you like her?“ Shinichi hesitated, obviously mulling something over in his mind.

 "Enough to go on some more dates, yeah. Although she doesn’t seem like the type who can handle dating an always busy-law-enforcement-type for too long.” Aoko laughed, she knew that life far too well, he dad was almost never home, especially after the return of Kaitou KID, although the thief now barely showed himself and was rarely holding heists in Japan. “She’s witty, and can keep a conversation going. She can be a little self-centered, but she’s a model, what else could you expect?” Aoko hummed in reply before changing the conversation.

 At the time, she only thought that Shinichi was vaguely interested in her on a physical level. It was clear to her that this model was the materialistic type, and she thought Shinichi could see her real personality better that Aoko could, what with him being the Heisei Holmes and all.

 She had shown up to the restaurant in a nice dress, excited at the prospect of eating some upper-class cuisine, just hanging out with Shinichi. Despite his chaotic schedule, he was fun to be around. He was a little nerdy and liked to talk about books more than Aoko could handle, but he gave her some good recommendations and his discerning eye and dry wit made people watching quite the treat. Despite all that, it was obvious just how emotional a person Kudou Shinichi was. He always felt guilty for making Aoko wait, even if it was for only a few minutes, and when he talked about some of his recent cases, which he apologized for before doing but said he just needed to get it off his chest, he talked about how terrible he felt for the culprit, the man had recently lost his wife in a car accident which caused him to hunt down the man who had hit her. Obviously, he believes a criminal should pay for their crimes, but he also tries to understand the reason behind it, Shinichi never forgets that first and foremost, people are human and flawed. So, yeah, Aoko approved of Shinichi, she was just worried about worried about how flippantly he treated romance, but Ran always talked about what a secret romantic Shinichi was, until just around they predicted their divorce to have happened.

 When Aoko spotted Shinichi, she was absolutely astounded to find a woman already at the table, seated next to him. “Ran!” Shinichi’s face light up when he saw her, and it made her regret not going to see Kaito, just a little, so she could see the joy in his own eyes.

 “Hey, Shinichi,” she greeted, taking a seat across from him, “who is this?”

 “This is Midori Kyoya. She’s the model I told you about.”

 “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Shinichi has told me so much about you.”

 “Likewise,” Aoko replied, a formal smile on her face as she took in this new development. She was pretty, that’s for sure. She had long, wavy, black hair and fair skin. She wore a dress that made Aoko almost embarrassed and she was fairly certain all of the diamonds she was wearing could buy her a house and a half. The thing that really caught her attention was the ring resting on her left ring finger.

 “I invited you so that you could be the first to know, Ran,” Shinichi said, his smile still wide and shining, “Midori and I are engaged!” Aoko felt her heart stop. This was not good. Thankfully, she believed even Ran would be just as shocked in this situation, so Shinichi didn’t think twice about the way she froze, “And I know this is kind of rushed, but we get married in two weeks.”

 “Con-Congratulations Shinichi. I- wow- I’m speechless.”

 “I know it’s kind of sudden, but like you’ve said, I need to start taking romance seriously, and then Midori came into my life and it just seemed like fate, you know?” Shinichi scratched his head in embarrassment while his fiancee cooed over him.

 Shinichi, this is not the time to be a romantic. Aoko silently cursed him. “Well, that’s fantastic!” She said instead, she could be quite the actor when she wanted to be. “I’m really happy for you!”

 “Shinichi’s shoulders dropped as he let out a sigh of relief. “I’m so glad you think so, honestly, I was afraid you would be mad at me for making my decision so quickly.”

 Absolutely furious. “Don’t be silly! If this is what you believe is right, who am I to stop you!” Shinichi began to talk about his bride to be, while she herself jumped in to embellish some facts and add dramatic commentary. Aoko allowed herself to be spoken too, maintaining the proper decorum for such a situation, until they had ordered their meals, then she excused herself to the bathroom, which is where she know finds herself.

 “I can’t believe him!” Ran finally answered from the other end of the phone. “This is completely insane! He’s only known her for, what, three weeks at the most? And he decides to get married!? Aoko, I’m coming back and slapping some sense into that boy.”

 "You can’t! We have to keep up the ruse; I think it’s still our best shot at getting the two to meet back up.“ Ran was silent for a while.

 "So you think so too? That they are good for one another?”

 "I think?“ Aoko let out a sigh, "I don’t know how they were in their first relationship, but something tells me that they are meant to be with one another.” Ran laughed on the other end of the phone.

 "I’m glad we agree, so, how are we going to get it through their thick skulls?“ A devious grin spread across Aoko’s face.

 "I’m so glad you asked. You see, they’re checking out the hotel they want to have the wedding at this Saturday, and I think we should give them a surprise.”

 Ran had a devious smile on her face as she got off the phone with Aoko. It was a wild plan, the only kind the girl seemed to formulate, but it could work, and it would definitely get the boys to see one another. But before she could really get this ball rolling, she had a confession to make.

 "Aoko!“ Kaito yelled from the other side of the door, "What are you yelling about so early in the morning? I have a headache.” Ran rolled his eyes at his complaint and grabbed a couple painkillers and a glass of water, pushing them on him when she opened the door.

 "Here, you goof.“

 "You’re the greatest,” Kaito said, adoration on his face as he swallowed the pills. “But really, what were you yelling about? You sounded really upset.” Curiosity and worry mixed together on his face, and Ran decided that now was the time.

 "Kaito, about five years ago, did you get married?“ Shock filled the magician’s eyes, and he gaped like a fish for a while before finding his voice.

 "Aoko, what on earth are you talking about? You know I would tell you if I ever did, I wouldn’t have a wedding without you! Besides when would I have even met a girl-”

 "But it wasn’t a girl,“ Ran stated flatly, walking over to her purse and pulling out her half of the photo, handing it over to Kaito.

 "Shinichi,” Kaito breathed, looking at her best friend’s face. His face softened and a nostalgic smile graced his lips before he remembered where he was. “Aoko, where on Earth did you find this? I haven’t seen this photo in half a decade.”

 "I’m just going to rip the band-aid off, Kuroba, I’m not Aoko.“ He looked at her confused, then he began to really look at her, and apparently, found the evidence he needed.

 "Oh my God, you aren’t Aoko,” Kaito said, his voice more in awe than in anger, “You aren’t my best friend and I didn’t even notice. But if you aren’t her,” Kaito continued, suspicion now filling his tone, “Then who are you?”

 "My name is Mouri Ran,“ she said, sticking out her hand, "and half a decade ago you married my best friend.”

 Kaito said nothing, walked over to the bed, face planted into it, and screamed into a pillow. Ran thought he was coping with this new information fairly well. After about a minute of that, he sat back up and looked at her. “I can’t believe I finally got to officially meet you,” Kaito said, wonderstruck. “Shinichi and I always talked about when we should get the four of us together, we wanted it to be this big surprise,” he began rambling, his eyes drifting back to the memory, “We were going to introduce you and then ask for the two of you to be our Maids of Honor. We were going to have a big ceremony for our one year, a proper wedding, you know? We just wanted to wait until we could pay for it ourselves, without relying on our parents’ money.”

 "But you divorced before that happened,“ Ran finished for him, taking a seat next to him on the bed, "And you cut all contact with one another, then, five years later, those same friends have a chance encounter where they come to quite a shocking conclusion.”

 "Of course this was Aoko’s idea,“ Kaito laughed, "Her ideas were always even crazier than mine, but they always seem to work in her favor, but to switch places and have you fly over seas to meet a complete stranger? I’m surprised you agreed.”

 "Well,“ Ran offered, "How could I say no to the man who has my best friend’s heart?”

 "Had, you mean. I lost that before we ever got a divorce.“

 "I don’t think so, I’ve seen the way he gets lost in thought sometimes, and he hasn’t taken any relationship seriously since then, he’s become so lost emotionally.”

 "You think he’s still in love with me?“

 "Somewhere deep down, yeah, I think he does.”

 "I’m sorry, Ran,“ Kaito shook his head sadly, "Our marriage failed because we were never in love, we were just young and stupid, Shinichi made that perfectly clear. We will never be in a relationship again, so if you came out here trying to set us up, it’s not going to happen.”

 "And that’s okay,“ Ran said, laying a comforting hand on his shoulder, "From what I heard from Aoko, and from my extensive knowledge of Shinichi, I just think the two of you should meet up and make up. Even if you weren’t meant to be married, leaving a relationship in such a terrible way is a heavy weight to bear for the rest of your life.”

 "You want us to see one another?“

 "Yeah, just meet up, switch us back, and try to resolve whatever left a bad taste in your mouth, I’m not asking you to get back together.”

 "'Switch us back’? So Aoko has been hanging out with Shinichi the whole time you’ve been here? I can’t say I’m too surprised. Does he know?“

 "Of course!” Ran lied, he couldn’t know about the engagement. “He really wants to make up, too.”

 "Really?“ There was a hopeful look in his eyes, Ran nodded in confirmation.

 "So, you aren’t mad about this?” Ran questioned, the guilt of it all weighing on her mind.

 "Of course not.“ Kaito looked at her with such tenderness, such kindness, that she knew no matter what happened between him and Shinichi that she wasn’t going to let Kaito stop being her friend, if that’s what they were, hopefully. "Ran, I’ve wanted to meet you for years now, the way Shinichi smiled when he talked about you, I knew I would regret it for the rest of my life if I never got the chance to become your friend.” Ran felt joyful tears well up in her eyes and she pulled Kaito into a tight hug. “So,” he said, wiping a few tears from his eyes, “How are we getting you home.”

 Aoko was going to lose. Her. Mind. Midori was the text-book two-face. After she returned to the table, having calmed down after calculating their next move, Shinichi excused himself to the bathroom, giving Midori a kiss before he left, gross.

 "So, are you in love with him?“ Midori asked as soon as Shinichi was out of earshot.

 "What? No! Of course not! He’s been my best friend since we were little!”

 "Oh, come on,“ Midori looked at her like she was something that belonged in the trash, "You look like you need his money, and marriage is the perfect way to get to it. I’m sure you were banking on the fact he was never going to get married, so you would just suggest you two do so "as friends”. Well too bad sugar, I beat you to the punch.“

 "So you only want him because he’s rich?” Aoko had to control her anger, she didn’t want to make a scene.

 "Oh no, of course not! Not only is he rich, but he’s also incredibly handsome. Great arm candy for someone like me. Plus, he’s busy so often that he is barely around, meaning I can practically do what I want.“

 "You’re disgusting,” Aoko spat, “There is no way in hell Shinichi is going to marry you.”

 "Oh darling, but he is.“ Midori sat back, a smirk across her lips. "He feels so pressured by you and his family to get married, the boy is desperate, he won’t believe a word you say about me.” Her voice was sickeningly sweet with pseudo-affection. “My poor Shinichi just wants a pretty wife he can show off to his mama to make her happy. And that’s just what I am!”

 "I think I’ll go,“ Aoko replied coolly, standing just as Shinichi returned to the table.

 "Ran, what’s wrong, did something happen?” The concern in his eyes made Aoko want to shake some sense into him then and there, but she knew Midori was right, Shinichi was desperate, she could see it in the way he was constantly looking over at her over to make sure he still had her approval, and how he clung so tightly to Midori, as if she would decide to get up and leave any second.

 "No, Shinichi, everything is fine, I just forgot I promised to go see Dad tonight, I’ll leave the two of you to a romantic dinner, have fun!“ Aoko walked away before Shinichi could stop her, storming all the way back home. It didn’t matter whether or not she could convince Shinichi that this marriage was a terrible idea, Shinichi was a grown man, he could decide that for himself, all she needed to do was make him see Kaito again.

 God bless Shinichi and his air-tight dedication to his friends. He, of course, insisted on bringing "Ran” with them to look at the venue for their wedding, which must have upset Midori judging by the constant glares Aoko was receiving, thankfully, she knew how to keep a poker face. She could feel the anticipation of the day welling up, a mixture of nerves and excitement. Now knowing both boys, she was hoping this little reunion ended with at least reconciliation and friendship, not that she would complain if they became something more.

 Shinichi wandered off, leaving the two girls alone, trying to find the person who was showing them around the hotel today. Aoko controlled her breathing, promising herself to maintain Ran’s cool composure, even when left alone with Shinichi’s vile fiancée. “This is the worst.” Midori was the first one to break the silence. “Not only does Shinichi decide on some cheap hotel to hold our wedding in, but he just has to bring along a charity case.”

 "I’m sorry?“ Aoko replied, the reins on her temper slipping ever so slightly.

 "Oh come on, you know it’s true. Why else would Shinichi keep you around? Helping the poor is an easy way to feel better about yourself. He probably just chose this hotel so you wouldn’t feel so bad about yourself.” She didn’t make eye contact with Aoko, just stood there, looking bored, doing something on her phone while she waited for Shinichi to get back. “I’ll just make him cut ties after we’re married, happy wife, happy life.” She muttered the last part to herself, but still loud enough that Aoko could hear. Aoko was about to retort when her phone buzzed.

 Plane landed, be there soon. Thank the heavens, the cavalry was here. Why should Aoko be the one to tear this girl to ruins when she can let Ran do it herself, it would be such a delight. Armed with this comfort, Aoko was able to maintain her composure. “Whatever helps you sleep at night, Midori.”

 "I’m back!“ Shinichi called, half-jogging his way back over to the girls before either of them could say anything more. "Is everything okay, Midori?” The girl had a pitiful look on her face, classic crocodile tears.

 "It’s nothing,“ she sniffled, wiping away a non-existent tear, "Ran just said something about me just being another fling.” Shinichi looked at Aoko with confusion and hurt in his eyes.

 "Ran wouldn’t say something like that,“ Shinichi said, a twinge of doubt in his voice, "You probably just misunderstood something she said, right, Ran?”

 "Of course!“ Aoko replied, a bit too defensively, "I said absolutely nothing of the kind to her!”

 "And now she’s saying I’m a liar.“ Midori sniffled some more, achieving in actually producing a few tears. "You don’t think I’m a liar, do you Shinichi?”

 "Of course I don’t,“ Shinichi replied, a soft look on his face that Aoko absolutely hated. "I’m sure this was all one big misunderstanding. Now, let’s go see that ballroom, okay?” Midori gave a pitiful nod and Shinichi took her hand. Aoko screamed inwardly.

 Ran was so nervous she was going to be sick. Her stomach was twisting in all sorts of knots, but when she looked at Kaito, she knew he had it worse. He was pale, and jittery, his foot tapping wildly in the back of the taxi they were taking to the hotel. He must have looked through his bag five times before he finally allowed Ran to pull him away from baggage claim. Now, he was just talking to himself, mumbling all kinds of undecipherable phrases that Ran thought better then to attempt to understand. Frankly speaking, he was a mess. When they finally pulled up to the hotel, Ran had to physically pull Kaito from the backseat. “I’m not ready!” Kaito shouted, desperately clinging to the taxi door. “I’m not presentable!”

 "That’s why we have a room!“ Ran shouted back, pulling just shy of full strength, not wanting to pull his arm out of its socket. "But you won’t have time to get presentable if you don’t get a move on!” That seemed to make sense to Kaito’s scrambled brain, as he suddenly dashed forward to reception, all of their bags in tow. Apologizing to the driver and paying the fare, Ran made her way in. Just in time to see the door closing on an elevator with Kaito in it. Fantastic. “Room 412!” He shouted, thinking to give her the room number, but not hold the elevator. What a mess. With a sigh, she walked over to the elevator, requesting the next car, when the other one opened. A woman walked right into her.

 "Oh,“ the woman said, looking disgusted, "I thought you were still looking at that hideous reception room with Shinichi.”

 "What?“ Ran eloquently replied, the woman was wearing an expensive looking dress hugging her fit figure, clearly trying to show it off. Her face was scrunched into a disgusting scowl, but it was evident she was  pretty.

 "Of course you wouldn’t think so,” the woman’s face turned to boredom, “Well, if Shinichi is so set on it, I don’t care. I just want to get this over with.” That informal way of addressing Shinichi, her good looks, the deplorable aura she was giving off.

 "Midori?“

 "What?” The woman snapped. Well, Ran knew her best friend’s fiancée now. Ran was thankful Aoko decided they should wear matching outfits today, she hadn’t planned on meeting Midori so soon.

 "Nothing,“ Ran said.

 "Well, go do something useful and go find Shinichi for me.” She pulled out her phone and checked her head for stray hairs, completely ignoring Ran’s existence. Bless Aoko and her willpower.

 "Sure thing,“ Ran said, making her way on to the elevator as quickly as possible. Midori stood there for half a beat more, missing the person who came out of the elevator, a messy-haired magician who was looking around guiltily for the person he had abandoned in the lobby, but didn’t miss her finace walking toward her, he himself unaware of the other man in the lobby.

 "Babe! There you are! What took you so long?” She cooed, draping herself over the man as they walked into the elevator together.

 "Sorry, Ran was really invested in the kinds of lights that would look best in the room, she went to the bathroom, but she’ll come up in a minute.“

 "Ah, too bad, guess we’ll just have to have some alone time.” Midori leaned in and Shinichi kissed her without a beat, when he pulled back, as the elevator doors closed, he could have sworn he saw… No, it couldn’t have been.

 Kaito, in his own right, was equally confused. He saw Shinichi, far too early, he wasn’t presentable, but Shinichi was also making out in an elevator and looked very confused when he looked up and saw Kaito. He needed to talk to Ran, who was, thankfully walking out of the bathroom at that moment. “There you are,” he said, grabbing her hand and dragging her toward the elevator. “Sorry about ditching you, but I’m just really nervous,” he kept rambling as they got on, “and I really need to talk to you about something because I don’t think you gave me the whole truth there,” the elevator dinged and he pulled her out and toward her room, “because I just saw Shinichi and-” and there was Ran, sitting in front of the room, but Ran, when he looked behind him, was also being dragged behind him, a surprised look on her face. Kaito sighed, unlocked the door, and walked into the room. The girls walking in silently behind him.

 "Um, hey?“ One greeted as if it was a question, he couldn’t really tell which one it was, which made him feel better about not realizing that he spent two weeks with a stranger, but he assumed it was Aoko, the real Aoko. He walked over to the bed and flopped face first into a pillow; this might be the weirdest day of his life. "It’s nice to see you, too.” A weight settled on the bed next to him, and a hand started running through his hair, yeah, definitely Aoko.

 "You have the worst ideas.“ Kaito gave her an evil look, which made her giggle. He missed her.

 "I thought it was a great idea, so did Ran.” He glared at the other girl now, she was an accomplice after all.

 "Hey!“ She said, placing her hands on her hips and glaring at him in return, "Hanging out with me wasn’t all that bad, mister 'I didn’t realize you weren’t my best friend.’”

 "We can’t all be a detective!“ Kaito retorted. "Speaking of, he doesn’t know I’m here, does he?” The girls had the gall to look sheepish. “Well, know it makes sense why he was making out with a girl in the elevator. I can’t believe you brought me here when he’s with his girlfriend!”

 "Fiancée,“ Aoko said, voice soft.

 "What?”

 "Not his girlfriend, his fiancée.“

 "You brought me here, unbeknownst to Shinichi, while he’s here with his fiancée? Why on Earth would you think that’s a good idea?”

 "Because she is the absolute worst!“ Aoko yelled, flopping down next to Kaito. "She’s rude, and snobby, and completely wrong for Shinichi! He absolutely can’t marry her!” Ran nodded in solidarity.

 "Shinichi is a grown man!“ Kaito sat up, hurt by this new revelation.” “He can decide who he wants to marry, and I certainly have no say in his decision.”

 "What I said back in Paris hasn’t changed,“ Ran spoke up, "I’m not trying to set you up with him, I just want the two of you to make up.” Kaito sat quiet for a moment, letting all of this madness settle in.

 "Fine,“ Kaito finally said, "I don’t like how you went about this, but I’m here now, and it won’t kill me to just say hi.”

 "I’m glad you agree, oh, and Shinichi doesn’t know I’m not Ran.“

 "Seriously?” Kaito looked sceptical, “You’ve spent two weeks with him and he never noticed a thing?”

 "Nope, he just thinks Ran is having an identity crisis,“ Aoko joked, which prompted a "Hey!” from Ran.

 "Ha! The Great Detective has lost his touch!“ Kaito burst into a fit of giggles. "Fooled by the great Nakamori Aoko! He’ll retire for sure once you tell him.”

 "I can’t wait to see the look on his face,“ Aoko giggled too, and soon, the whole room was laughing at how absurd the whole situation was. They calmed down after a solid couple of minutes of laughter. "I think it’s time we go clue in the detective.”

 Shinichi was getting worried about Ran, he hadn’t seen her since she left for the bathroom, and it had been a little over an hour since then. Midori had begged him to come with her to look at the pool, but he was too distracted to really give it any thought. He was probably over thinking the whole thing anyway; the stress must be getting to him, especially considering he saw… Yeah, the stress was definitely getting to him.

 He sighed, looking around the pool; Midori sat down in a lounge chair and said something about ordering a drink. “I’m just going to take a quick walk,” he said, not really hearing her reply. He wandered around the edge of the pool when something caught his eye on the other side.

 Shinichi wasn’t crazy. It really was him. Here, in Japan, at this hotel, the very same day he was here with the woman he was going to marry. What were the odds? Staring at him in wonder, Shinichi started making his way through the dense crowd toward him, giving out half-hearted 'excuse me’s and not watching where he was going, which, of course, meant he fell into the pool.

 There was a splash, and it took Shinichi a second to realize what had happened. He stood up, thankfully it was the shallow end, and wiped the water off of his face. His suit was soaked, and it would be miserable to walk around in for the rest of the day, the light gray now shades darker. Looking up, there he stood. His eyes as mirthful as he remembered, although that was most likely due to what an idiot Shinichi looked like at the moment.

 "Would you like some help, Great Detective?“ he asked, one corner of his mouth pulling up just a pinch more than the other. Shinichi stood there, still in the water, just staring at him, before he realized the other was offering a hand to pull him out. Shinichi took it and was soon face to face with him. "Hey,” he said, casually, like they hadn’t spent the past five years apart with absolutely no contact. Shinichi was just glad he didn’t seem angry.

 "Hey, Shinichi answered back, a smile unconsciously making its way onto his face.“I think I need a towel.” That made him laugh, a soothing, magical sound, like wind chimes on a bright summers day.

 "Yeah, I think you do.“ He led Shinichi over to a towel stand, throwing one over the detective’s head and scrubbing furiously. Shinichi sat on a chair and relaxed as the other worked his magic.

 "It’s been a while,” he said meekly, glad the towel hid his face. “I haven’t seen you in, what, five years?”

 "Just a little bit over, yeah.“ He stopped scrubbing and brought the towel down to rest on Shinichi’s neck. "It’s really good to see you, Shinichi.”

 "It’s good to see you ,too, Kaito.“ The name felt strange on his tongue, heavy from the disuse. "Congratulations on the upcoming special.”

 "You knew about that?“

 "Of course, it’s another step closer to your dream. Just because we aren’t together anymore doesn’t mean I don’t support you.”

 "I- um, thank you. That means a lot.“ A light blush dusted his cheeks and Shinichi felt his heart skip a beat. What was he doing? He was engaged now; he shouldn’t harbor these kinds of feelings. Kaito made it clear a long time ago that he didn’t feel the same way; they just weren’t supposed to be a couple.

 "Oh my gosh!” Shinichi looked over to see Midori, she had a drink in one hand and pushed her sunglasses up with the other. “You’re Kuroba Kaito! That upcoming magician! I called your manager, like, yesterday to see if you could be the entertainment for my wedding, but he said you were away on personal business. It is such a coincidence that you’re here! And you’ve already met my groom-to-be! In fact, Shinichi, do you know one another?” Her voice was sugar sweet, excitement coloring her features. Shinichi winced; this was going to be awkward.

 "Shinichi! Are you alright!“It was Ran, concern on her features. Great, now he ha

Summary:Prompt fill: DCMK Emogust 2019 - Sheep
Written Aug 2019
Read on AO3

Kaito was so tired, but he couldn’t seem to fall asleep. It wasn’t a new problem, but it didn’t mean it didn’t suck any less. If he had to pinpoint exactly when this problem started, he would say it was probably after his dad died. He had hoped that it was all just some overly elaborate trick and that if he stayed up long enough, he would hear his dad come home.

Now, his insomnia was commonplace, and being an internationally wanted criminal with an evil organization out for his life certainly didn’t help the situation.

Kaito shifted in his bed, his eyes open simply because he didn’t care enough to close them. He wanted to be able to sleep, at least, he liked to think he did. He honestly couldn’t remember the last time he got more than an hour or two of rest, he was surprised his body hadn’t given out yet. He knew it was dangerous to do the things he does on less than adequate rest, but he found it harder and harder to care.

He still tried to sleep, no matter how pointless he thought it was. And he had tried everything. Any kind of sleep medication he could get his hands on, any kind of tea or other “relaxing” food, and all kinds of different relaxation techniques. Nothing worked. He also, of course, counted sheep.

“One,” Kaito said to his ceiling, “Two, three, four, five,” He counted up and down, by twos and threes, and in all manner of languages. He could count to one hundred in at least ten languages now. As he counted, he visualized these sheep. Sometimes they were realistic, other times they weren’t, sometimes they were fluffy, sometimes they were shaved down. He also often thought about the sheep. Mostly, he thought about how sad it was to be a sheep. Sheep just followed the flock, yet he envied their peaceful, ignorant bliss. He also thought about their wool, how bright white it was, like KID’s suit. He often remembers the first time he put on the suit, like a lamb to the slaughter.

Kaito didn’t like sheep. He was, ironically, tired of them, but counting sheep had become a habit, he had done it for far too long. How hateful it was to have an animal often associated with sacrifice to curse him like this, as if they were angered that they were killed and he wasn’t.

Becoming once again overwhelmed with these thoughts, Kaito threw his pillow at the ceiling. It didn’t do anything, but it made him feel a little better. He got up from his bed and paced around his room, trying not to look at the large poster of his father. It was something else that haunted him at night. Finding the walking unuseful, he threw himself back in bed. He picked up his phone and sighed when he saw the time. He opened it anyway and scrolled through his recent texts. He wouldn’t text Aoko, she was sure to be asleep and he didn’t want to drag her into this hell with him. His mom was in a different timezone, but she kept track of Japan’s and he didn’t want his mom to question why he was up so late, he didn’t want to worry her. He had Shinichi’s number, and he was sure to be awake, but Kaito didn’t know if he wanted to show such a weakness to the detective, of course, he could always hide it behind a poker face.

With a deep breath, he sent a text. I assume you’re still awake?

Within a minute, Shinichi responded. You aren’t allowed to judge me because you’re awake too. Kaito let out a low chuckle.

Can’t sleep, detective?

Something like that, I just finished looking over some case files and was getting ready for bed

That’s not healthy, you need more sleep!

Okay, hypocrite. Kaito winced he knew he was, but he really couldn’t help it, and he knew that Shinichi was probably just poking fun, Shinichi wouldn’t know about all his sleepless nights, would he? Kaito? Did you fall asleep with your phone open? It says you read my text

Nope, still awake!

Well, at least I have someone to talk too. I can’t get my mind off this one case and I’d like to keep working on it, but I think Division one would personally knock me out if they thought I didn’t get enough sleep

Don’t feel obligated just because I messaged you Shinichi. Get some rest, you need it

And you don’t?

It was just a coincidence I was up lol. Kaito was glad he didn’t have to look at Shinichi when he said that, he was sure the detective would be able to tell. I’ll go to bed soon

Well, at least that will be one of us, I really don’t think I’ll get any sleep, that case is really bugging me, I’m just not tired

Luckily for you, I know plenty of helpful sleepy time tricks!

…I don’t think I really want to know what these “sleepy time tricks” are

Well, there’s bedtime teas, if you have any, or melatonin supplements

Nope, don’t have either

You could read a book until you’re bored to sleep

Unlikely

True. Have you done stretching, or those weird breathing techniques?

Wow, you really do have a whole list, huh

You doubted me? Shinichi, I’m offended!

Well, tell me oh great master of “sleepy time tricks”, what’s your favorite? Kaito didn’t have a favorite, he hated them all. It’s not that he didn’t believe they didn’t work for other people, he just hated them because they didn’t work for him. Kaito thought about it for a minute, he didn’t want to just give Shinichi an answer, he genuinely wanted to help him if he could, he deserved a good night’s sleep. At least, that was what he thought when his brain reminded him of one in particular and he gave himself a breathy laugh at how absolutely pathetic he was.

Counting Sheep

Summary: Kaito has to keep himself entertained while Shinichi finishes up some work and he ends up being quite the distraction.
Written Aug 2019
Read on AO3

Shinichi was busy looking over files at the desk, a pad of paper for notes beside him, but he was struggling to maintain concentration while Kaito tried to keep himself occupied while he waited for Shinichi to finish. He could see the magician out of the corner of his eye perform different, simple tricks. Usually, Shinichi could handle the distraction if it was all the magician was doing, but this time he was insistent on carrying on a conversation with himself. Shinichi didn’t say anything, so he was sure that Kaito didn’t know he was listening.

“Shinichi is such a great boyfriend, you got so lucky,” Kaito told himself, flipping a coin between his fingers, “Now all you have to do is keep him.” Shinichi suppressed a smile in case Kaito caught on. What could he say? Kaito was just too cute.

“That probably means getting married, but does he even want to get married? Shinichi doesn’t seem like the proposing type.” Well, now Shinichi was offended, he had been trying to scheme a proposal for months, but Kaito kept snooping through Shinichi’s things and he didn’t want Kaito to catch on. Currently, all of his plans were stored in a box under Ran’s bed. She was more than thrilled to say the least. “I guess it’s up to you, Kaito,” the magician sighed to himself, “You just have to be careful that he doesn’t catch on, which should be easy considering you’re sitting six feet away from him and he can’t hear a thing.” The last part was said a little louder, and Kaito looked toward him, and Shinichi would bite.

“Hmm? Did you say something, dear?” Shinichi asked with the most innocent look he could muster.

“No,” Kaito blushed a little at the pet name, “I was just talking to myself,”

“Oh, well, I’m almost finished, so keep yourself entertained.” Kaito hummed in response. Shinichi did focus back on his work, he had too, and he found that he really did zone out, and he only realized Kaito had started talking to himself again when he heard the word “ring”.

“…ring he would like. Probably nothing too elaborate, but would he even want an engagement ring?” Shinichi risked a glance toward his boyfriend, who was lost in his own thoughts, mindlessly shuffling a deck of cards. “I think I would like an engagement ring,” Kaito said, his voice almost a whisper and a soft look on his face. “It doesn’t even have to be fancy, it could be made of paper for all I care.” Shinichi’s heart swelled, so he flipped to a fresh piece of paper and ripped a strip off of the bottom. “Shinichi?” Kaito asked, his voice much louder now. Shinichi didn’t respond, too focused on the task at hand. Kaito didn’t pry further, probably assuming Shinichi just got a little frustrated.

After just a minute, Shinichi stood from his desk. “Shinichi?” Kaito asked again. Shinichi didn’t say anything, just held his boyfriend’s gaze and marched toward him. “Is something wrong?” Kaito’s look of confusion intensified when Shinichi dropped to his knee. It soon became bewilderment when Shinichi produced a paper ring.

“It’s not fancy, but you said you’d take one.” A series of emotions passed across Kaito’s face.

“Are you serious right now?” Kaito’s voice was full of suspicion, which Shinichi didn’t blame him for, most people had more meaningful proposals than this, but Shinichi felt that it had to be now.

“Kaito, will you marry me?”

“Oh my god, were you listening to me? Are you doing this to just prove me wrong?”

“Well, yeah, I mean, how could I when you questioned my ability, especially when I have been trying to figure out how to propose for months now.”

“So you just decided that you’d do it now?”

“I mean, why not?”

“Fair enough.” Kaito’s smile made Shinichi’s heart flutter.

“So, will you marry me?”

“Of course, you absolute idiot,” Kaito replied as he leaned down to kiss him.

Of course, Ran wasn’t pleased Shinichi had gone ahead and proposed without Ran’s knowledge, so she made them have a “real” proposal the next month. It was wonderful and magical, but Kaito still preferred to wear the paper ring instead of the silver “real” one.

Summary:Prompt fill: Kaishin Discord Server - Autumn
Written Sept 2018
Read on AO3

Autumn had finally arrived. The weather was becoming cooler, jackets now necessary, a relief from the intense summer they had had.Trees were beginning to change color, green fading into an array of reds, oranges, yellows and browns. Perhaps Shinichi’s favorite part of the season was the cold mornings. The old, wood floors of his childhood home froze his toes, leading him to wear slippers, and the chill in the air to a blanket over his shoulders; most notably, however, was that the first cup of coffee was all the more satisfying. Sure, the hot beverage would burn his tongue, but it was worth it to feel the warmth of the drink spread through his body, warming his soul.

These mornings were all the more pleasant nowadays. He got to share them with Kaito. Mornings weren’t as cold when you woke up in your lover’s arms, plus, he didn’t have to be the one to wake up and start the coffee, he could wait until the smell of the intoxicating brew wafted its way into Shinichi’s bedroom before having to make his way downstairs. When he was down there, Kaito already had a cup prepared, not to mention being able to cuddle on the couch kept him warm. Shinichi loved Kaito and would never use him for anything, but he had to admit it was nice to have his own giant hot water bottle for cold mornings.

Not only did this giant, walking water bottle make his morning coffee, he also took him on cute, fall themed dates, what more could a man want? Kaito was currently throwing one hand around in elaborate gestures, excitedly talking about the day he had planned for the two of the. His other hand was resting on Shinichi’s waist, holding him close underneath the blanket as Shinichi let his hands warm up on his coffee cup, taking long sips and enjoying the sound of his lover’s voice. “…and then we can come home and cuddle and watch that movie I told you about.” Shinichi hummed in approval. “You only heard half of what I said, didn’t you?” Shinichi hummed again, in agreement. “That just means the date will be a surprise. Life is more fun that way anyway.”

After Shinichi had finished his coffee, Kaito rushed to get the detective dressed, eager to get the day started. When Shinichi had deemed himself thoroughly prepared, he met Kaito at the front door. The magician was practically buzzing with excitement. Shinichi rolled his eyes, how he managed to be so excited for each date, Shinichi didn’t know; he felt the same, however, even if it didn’t show on his face.

Kaito took him by the hand and lead them down the streets of Beika, a skip in his step as they talked about Kaito’s upcoming shows, books they had read, the weird morning T.V. show they had been watching, anything that came to mind. All the while, Kaito lead them around corners and down different alleyways, Shinichi grew up here, but the way Kaito got around always left him feeling a little lost, so when Kaito pulled them down a short alley that lead them to a small park, it was like entering a portal to another world.

The trees were full of fall color. Brilliant reds, vibrant oranges, and vivid yellows colored the branches of large, struddy looking trees. Despite being in a city, the leaf covered pathways were devoid of people, although birds and squirrels flitted in and out of Shinichi’s view. “How did you find this place?” Shinichi asked, his voice full of awe. Kaito grinned at his boyfriend’s reaction.

“You would be surprised at the things you can see from a bird’s eye view.” Kaito had, of course, scouted the place after spotting it from the air. He had to ensure it was a good date location before he took his darling anywhere. The park had been everything Kaito had hoped it would be. It was the perfect location for this date, and it had to be, he had been planning this date for months, ever since the weather had started to cool. Tugging at his boyfriend’s hand, he lead them onto the path, the crisp leaves crunching under foot. They walked, hand in hand, admiring the beautiful colors, the silence between them comfortable. The birds chirped from somewhere in the high branches, and the soft breeze carried leaves down, falling gently, almost like a dance, to the ground below. The park may have been small, but the tree cover was so dense, and it was so quiet, Shinichi could have believed Kaito had somehow teleported him away into a distant forest.

They had wandered that way for almost an hour, before Kaito pulled Shinichi to a stop. He was staring a large, beautiful maple tree. The red of its leaves were like a fine, red wine. Light managed to sneak through its branches, casting delicate shadows onto the pair’s faces. “Well,” Kaito said, a mischievous grin on his face, “let’s go.”

“Go where?” Shinichi asked, confused as Kaito approached the tree then made a leap for one of the low hanging branches. The magician quickly pulled himself up into the branches, disappearing from Shinichi’s view. “ Kuroba Kaito, I am not a squirrel. ” Shinichi marched to the base of the tree, looking up into the canopy to try to spot his boyfriend. He was standing in the higher boughs of the maple, grinning down at him, eyes alight with mirth, the light sneaking through illuminated his face, and the warm colors around him only made Shinichi realize how startling beautiful the magician’s eyes were. If he wasn’t already smitten, hearing Kaito giggle, looking so ethereal, certainly solidified his love for the other.

“I’ll help you up,” Kaito said, laughter in his voice, “all you had to do was ask.” Kaito elegantly maneuvered his way to the lower branches, Shinichi mesmerized by the graceful movements. The smug look he gave Shinichi when he reached a low branch let the detective know his admiring looks hadn’t been lost on the magician. Shinichi was sure the blush he gave in return was the same color as the maple leaves.

Kaito had somehow managed to lead them up through the branches, and now they were seated up there, near the base of the tree, perched on two large branches high off the ground. All Shinichi could see was the red of the maple. Kaito admired his lover for a moment, much like how Shinichi had admired him just moments before. The detective look like he was in a trance, eyes staring out into the branches, the light making his face glow in its golden light. Kaito loved that look in Shinichi’s eyes, it was one of wonder and of innocence. It was a rare look on the detective’s face, it was hard when he was constantly surrounded by death and betrayal. His blue eyes shone like a clear autumn sky, his face was relaxed, not twisted in concentration. Don’t get him wrong, Kaito loved watching Shinichi solve a mystery, but sometimes, he needed to see Shinichi like this, to know that he was relaxing and enjoying what was around him.

Kaito pulled a picnic basket from where he had stowed it in the tree this morning, before Shinichi got up. He nudged the other with it, shaking him from his entranced state. “I’m not even going to ask,” Shinichi said, looking at the basket and rolling his eyes, but there was a soft smile on his lips.

They ate up there, in the trees, laughing and talking and taking and just enjoying the feeling of isolation. It was there own little world up there, and no one could interfere. Once they finished, Kaito began putting everything back in the basket, still smiling and chatting, while Shinichi gazed at him. Slowly, carefully, he leaned forward, meeting Kaito’s lips as the other turned to look at him. The magician jumped slightly, caught off guard at the sudden kiss, but he quickly melted into it. It was small and chaste, but it carried Shinichi’s emotions clearly. Shinichi pulled back, embarrassed. Kaito only giggled at his love’s flustered face. “What was that for? Not that I’m complaining.”

“Nothing,” Shinichi answered bluntly, despite the blush still coloring his face. “I just love you.” Now it was Kaito who matched the maple leaves. It was rare, but Shinichi could fluster Kaito if he tried hard enough, and it was a treat every time. Kaito tried to form a sentence, but all of his words came out incoherent. Eventually, he gave up with a little whine, burying his face in his hands.”

“You aren’t allowed to do that, Shinichi. That has to be illegal.” Shinichi let out a laugh. He nudged Kaito’s foot to get his boyfriend to look at him.

“Let’s get home and watch that movie.” Kaito nodded in agreement, still too embarrassed to speak.

The movie ended up being fairly mediocre, but the two didn’t mind. They were pressed together on the couch, relishing in one another’s company, making jokes about the plot holes in the movie’s story and coming up with wild ideas that would improve the movie’s quality. It was looking like a cold, fall day. The trees were changing, the birds were leaving, and winter was fast approaching, but if the rest of autumn was like today, the pair was looking forward to it.

Summary: Kaito is angry at Shinichi and locked him outside. He will let him back in on one condition.
Written July 2018
Read on AO3

This is why Shinichi avoided arguments with Kaito like the plague. He was currently stuck outside of his house, Kaito having bolted the door, and none of the windows would open. It was embarrassing enough to have your boyfriend lock you out of your own house , but he had Hattori and Hakuba over to discuss a recent string of serial murders. It was just a silly argument and now he had to freeze out in the autumn evening being judged by his contemporaries until Kaito decided to be merciful. “Kaito!” Shinichi shouted at the door, “Please! It’s cold out here!”

“No!” came a shout from inside, “I’m still mad at you!”

“Kaito! We have guests! Be a good host!” Shinichi waited a moment, but he got no reply. He sighed and turned to look at the other two detectives, who gave him a pitying look. “Fine! What can I do to make it up to you!”

“I told you what you have to do!” Shinichi paused. Kaito never told him what he had to do, but if he says that he did… Oh God no.

“Kaito, that was a joke right? You’re not going to make me do that in front of Hakuba and Hattori , are you?”

“I think my demands are clear.”

“Kaito, I am not doing that now . You can kick me out again after their gone, but-”

“There’s no point in it if they’re gone, Shinichi!” He wasn’t going to let this go, was he? He glanced back at his friends, who were now looking at him in a mix of confusion and fear, they knew what Kaito was capable of. “Start singing, Shinichi!” The magician’s pleasure was clear in his sing-songy tone.

Slowly, with embarrassment burning bright on his face, Shinichi began mumbling something under his breath. “Come on Shinichi! You have to say it for all to hear!” Shinichi squeezed his eyes shut and tried to pretend that he wasn’t standing in front of two of the most intelligent people he knew. “Shin~i~chi~!” Shinichi took a large breath and began to recite the cursed words.

“I’m a little teapot-” he heard Hattori let out a snort, “short and stout. Here is my my handle,” Shinichi moved a hand to his hip, “and here is my spout,” he moved his other hand to the “spout” position. Hattori was practically cackling at this point, Hakuba was silent, all to used to the pain of being through Kuroba’s jokes. Shinichi could hear faint snickers through the door as well, he knew he only heard them because Kaito wanted him too.

“You’re doing so well, Shinichi! Keep going!” Shinichi let out a small whine, this had to be cruel and unusual punishment. “Come on, you’re halfway there!”

“When I get all steamed up hear me shout-”

“You have to shout this part, Shinichi!”

“Kaito!” Shinichi dropped the ridiculous pose, “I am not going to shout a children’s song in the middle of the neighborhood!”

“The faster you fo it, the faster it will be over.” That sing-song tone had to be the voice of the devil.

“Yeah, Kudou,” Hattori managed through his laughter, “it’s just one more line.” Shinichi turned a harsh glare on the Osakan.

“We are no longer friends.” His words seemed to have the opposite effect, Hattori laughed harder. Hakuba only gave him a defeated look. Composing himself, Shinichi regained his pose and cleared his throat.

“Tip me over and pour me out!” He could hear how his voice echoed down the street. As soon as the last word left his lips, tried the door handle. It swung open with ease. He marched past his boyfriend, the tips of his ears bright red. “I hate you,” he said, feeling more than seeing the giant, evil grin on the magician’s face.

“No one don’t~” Kaito replied, ushering in his guests.

“No,” Shinichi sighed, more to himself than to Kaito, “I really don’t.”

Summary:Sometimes life is cruel, which is the case for these two. Luck never seems to be on their side, but they are able to find some solace in one another. What luck that a deck comes with a pair of fools.
Written April 2018
Read on AO3

It’s funny how time works. Day bleeds into night, a perfect cycle, but time is strict, rigid. One second it is March, the next, April. This is what a small detective was thinking of as he sat on the roof of the Haido City Hotel, the breeze still warming from its frosty, winter cold. He was there to meet someone for the first of April, someone who would only appear on the first of April, not a second earlier, so when he heard footsteps approach him from behind, he knew the month of Mars had passed.

“You’re here earlier than last year.” The thief eased himself down beside the small detective, who gave a weak chuckle in return.

“It’s not like I have anything better to do, you know that.”

“No progress, huh?” A hum in confirmation. “Looks like Lady Luck abandoned us both.”

“Luck was never on my side in the first place.” That had to be true, there had been an absence of luck for years, every since the incident at Tropical Land.

The thief knew this, he knew a lot of things about the detective, much more than those who constantly surround him. He knew the boy looked forward to this day every year, much like himself. It was a day without masks, without lies, without names.

Names were dangerous. They were fluid, easily changed, and in abundance, especially for people such as themselves, so the two never used them on the first of April. They just talked, a place to speak freely, without repercussion, a tradition which started almost years ago, a year after their first meeting.

It had been on accident, they had both arrived without the knowledge of the other, planning to take a moment’s reprieve from their usual lives. Upon realization that they both desired the same thing, they decided to find that reprieve in one another. They knew they were safe with one another, safe from all of the things pressing on their minds big and small.

As the years progressed they had spent more and more time on the first together, last year it was close to a whole day, and as the detective’s current persona grew older, he was given more freedom, something both were glad to take advantage of.

“So,” the thief said, a cheerful, eager tone in his voice, “ we have several hours until sunrise, and therefore breakfast, what do you want to do?” The detective turned to face him, an amused smirk on his face.

“I know you have some sort of magic show planned, idiot.” The thief smiled.

“You know me to well detective.”

So that’s how their day began. The magician performed a magic show on a cool spring morning on the top of a hotel for an audience of one. The audience refraining from his usual critic in favor of not ruining the relaxed, joyful look the performer held on his face. After the magic show, they contented themselves in swapping stories about some of the high points in the last year, many ended up involving one another. By the time the sun rose, they were already blending into the street below, no one the wiser of their late night meeting, and soon they were sitting in a small cafe in a district where the chance of anyone they knew seeing them was low.

“Hey,” the detective spoke up from his place across from the magician, who was happily perusing the menu’s pastry section.

“What is it?” Indigo eyes met the detective’s, bright in a way that had he had not seen since last April first.

“Are you not wearing a disguise?”

“Hmm, nope.”

“Oh.” It was surprising in a way, but in another, it wasn’t. They did look startling similar, well they would be if the situation was different.

“You order a hot chocolate, I’ll order an iced coffee, then we’ll swap when the staff isn’t looking.” The detective hummed in agreement.

The zoo was a nice trip. They made their way there after breakfast, it was still early in the day, not to mention a school day, so the zoo was quiet, even if the staff shot curious looks at the pair. The more nocturnal animals were settling in to sleep, but they could still be seen, and the other animals were eagerly waiting around the front of their enclosures for breakfast. If they bypassed the animals of the aquatic affinity, neither mentioned it. They passed the time by quizzing one another on animal facts, stopping to eat lunch at one of the concession stands near the North American animals. A bison was loitering near the fence and the magician was pleased to see the detective fight down a snicker when a top hat just so happened to appear on the animals head before disappearing before any zookeepers could notice.

The detective lead the thief through shopping district after shopping district across Tokyo, hitting all the smaller, locally run bookstores. The trains they took between each location began to slowly fill with students returning home after school. Hats placed low on each of their heads, the magician would ask the detective about some of them, what clubs each student was in, how they were doing academically, just things to pass the time.

Of course the magician wanted to have dinner at the Tokyo tower. He seemed to have an obsession with heights, but the detective didn’t mind. And if they were dressed far more casually than the other patrons and were shot dirty looks from the diners as well as the staff, neither cared.

“I do believe it’s your turn to buy the meal, detective,” the magician said as their haughty waiter gave the magician the bill. The detective only sighed as he took the check from the other’s hands and placed his card inside, he didn’t get to use it that often nowadays anyways, and it was worth the look on the waiters face.

The sun had completely set by the time they made it back to the roof of the Haido City Hotel. The magician pulled out a small electric light and a set of cards and they made small talk for a few more hours, the detective giving the thief a pointed look whenever he tried to cheat at the game they were playing.

After several games, the thief stood, placing the cards back inside of his suit, which he changed back into at some point, though his hat was held at his side. “It’s almost time, detective. I do believe it’s time for the finale. The detective sighed, the day truly did go by to quickly, even if he had to admit the lack of sleep was starting to get to him.

“Well, I’m never one to forgo tradition.” The two shared a smile before a bang and flash of light illuminated the sky.

The citizens of Tokyo never understood why the Haido City Hotel lit up on April first. The staff was asked constantly, but they never had an answer to the public’s inquiry. It was even staked out a few years, but they never knew when the fireworks would go off. It started several years ago, a display went off early in the morning. The following years it slowly bleed into the day, then into night, and there was never evidence that someone had been there. It was a sight, however, so no one truly cared. Large displays of bright colors and shapes, coloring the sky for no particular reason, the city eventually wrote it off to a very dedicated prankster. Only two people knew the true significance behind the marvel. A testament to the meeting of April’s favorite fools.

Summary:Prompt fill:  Soulmates share their sense of taste.
Written Feb 2018
Read on AO3

It was always incredibly important to Kudo Shinichi that he always ate delicious food, not because he was a connoisseur of any sort, nor because his family had the wealth to do so, but because he felt it was his duty to ensure that his soulmate would be privilege to the greatest tastes Shinichi could afford. His parent were the ones to instill this mentality in him, telling stories about how they would feel so connected to one another when they were able to share a meal without meeting one another. How they would neglect eating their own meals in order to not ruin whatever the other was eating. Shinichi had no way of knowing who his soulmate was, where they lived, whether or not they had the level of privilege he had, so, as soon he was told about soulmates, he would always beg his parents to take him to the restaurants with the greatest food, unaware of their cost at the time, and his parents would always comply. The tradition continued until he lived on his own. He had to be conscious of his spending money, so he altered his approach. He was constantly online, looking for the restaurants that were lesser known, lower priced, but praised for their exceptional food. Shinichi discovered some of his favorite restaurants this way, and by the way he would crave those restaurants, his soulmate must like them too.

Speaking of his soulmate, Shinichi had always found them peculiar. Home-cooked meals could always be picked out, and Shinichi always enjoyed the days he could taste such a meal on his lips-and he was thankful Ran was always offering to make meals for him, otherwise his soulmate might hate him for constantly eating convenience store food-so it was one of the highlights of Shinichi’s day when he would taste those meals, it made him so much more connected with his soulmate, and he kept track of the kinds of things his soulmate ate in order to try and deduce the things his soulmate liked or hated. His soulmate loved chocolate, in all forms, and didn’t seem to eat a lot of fish, which made him think his soulmate wasn’t Japanese for quite a while. His soulmate also ate some weird combinations, some to gross to even think about physically eating. He hoped most of those were for dares or some kind of punishment game.

At about the age of eight, Shinichi found he was glad he had decided to keep a journal about his soulmates eating habits. At all the usual times he would taste some meal on his lips, he tasted nothing. It lasted weeks, only occasionally tasting crackers or other easy to digest foods. He worried that his counterpart had been hospitalized, but hospitals gave their patients proper meals, so Shinichi decided that it must be something more mental keeping his soulmate from eating. He set out on a quest, scouring back through his notes to find the foods he deemed his soulmate liked the most. Yusaku and Yukiko became slightly concerned when their son started to demand foods he usually ate in moderation, chocolate, in all kinds of forms, meals cooked a certain way, as little fish as possible, certain restaurants, and when their eight-year-old finally disclosed the reason for his behavior, they complied. And it seemed to work, Shinichi began to have certain cravings, sometimes for foods he was eating, other times for meals that he quickly begged his parents to have, and, eventually, he began to taste proper meals on his lips again. Still afraid his soulmate would stop eating, Shinichi started yet another tradition, on Saturdays, he would ensure he ate whatever he thought his soulmate would most enjoy.

That tradition he carried into his teens, incorporating the ever-growing set of data, the small restaurants he would frequent, and begging for the occasionally favor from Ran to help him cook a meal. Ran would always agree, and soon made it a tradition of her own to spend Saturdays with Shinichi, cooking or going out to meals with him. She loved watching him, how dedicated he was to this person he didn’t even know, and hoped that his soulmate would one day be able to appreciate this, and go to these meals with him. His soulmate seemed to at least become attached to Saturdays, Shinichi wouldn’t taste anything until well after the times Shinichi ate.

Shinichi was content, he was rising in popularity as a detective, and he loved being one, sure, but if asked, Shinichi would always say that food was his absolute favorite thing in the world. That statement made his fame slightly more uncomfortable as fans would send in different kinds of foods, expensive ones, homemade one, desserts and bentos to giftcards to some of the most luxurious restaurants in Tokyo. Not only were his fans keen to try to exploit this fact, but so was Suzuki Sonoko. She would offer the use of her family’s private chef, or just paying for one of the more expensive restaurants on Shinichi’s list in exchange for favors. The most frequent one might be her most outrageous.

“If you catch Kaitou KID for me, I’ll pay for all of your meal expenses for the next five years.” Shinichi looked up, taken aback.

“I’m sorry? You want me to what?” Sonoko sighed, placing her hands on her hips and leaning menacingly over Shinichi, where he sat at his desk.

“I want you to catch Kaitou 1412 for me and show me his face before taking him in to police custody in exchange for all of your food expenses for the next five years.” Shinichi’s face must still have shown confusion, because Sonoko let out another sigh and elaborated, “Kaitou KID is like, the most notorious criminal right now, and if anyone can catch him, you can, you detective nerd, so take that as a compliment and do this for me.”

And that’s how Shinichi began his hunt for a phantom, he couldn’t turn down that offer, it would be absolute lunacy. All of his food expenses? Shinichi had learned to go about it cost effectively, but with Sonoko as his wallet, he could frequent the higher ticket restaurants more frequently, or buy higher quality ingredients, or take cooking classes. He had to do this favor for Sonoko. The first few heists he attended, Shinichi was so caught up in trying to catch the thief that he got nowhere close to him, so he put his goal on the back burner and just tried to focus on the phantom thief as much as possible.

Shinichi began to experience the heists in a completely new way. He picked up on the meaning behind the notices quicker, and with each passing heist, began to meet the thief’s pace. He came to respect KID, he was clever and he pushed Shinichi to think in different ways, and if the banter the two would exchange was any indication, KID liked the challenge the Shinichi brought to him as well. This continued on for a few months until a certain heist, the first one to ever be scheduled on a Saturday.

It shouldn’t have been as surprising as it was, but through all of the research and analysis Shinichi did on the thief, Saturdays were the least likely KID picked for heists, it was one of the reasons why Shinichi allowed himself to pursue the thief with such fervor. The owner of the jewel had challenged KID to steal it, however, so Kaitou KID, never one to turn down a challenge, really didn’t have a choice. As much as it pained Shinichi, he couldn’t miss a heist, and, sure, he found the phantom thief to be a great rival, but Sonoko’s offer was too good to pass up. He made sure his breakfast was quite elaborate, an unspoken apology to his soulmate, and hoped the flavor helped his soulmate, if the taste of an energy bar and black coffee, unusual for his soulmate, was anything to go by.

The heist location was in the museum the gem’s owner curated. He had brought the sizable peridot out of storage for one day only, and had smugly challenged Kaitou KID to steal it from “the one of a kind security” of the museum. Shinichi didn’t understand why all of these rich people think their security is any different than the others, the thief always gets through it. Shinichi was at the heist location around five, managing to grab a sandwich at a small western deli he had found on one of his cheap food hunts. He wasn’t the biggest fan of deli food, but it was quick and easy and he was now craving said sandwich, so his soulmate must be enjoying the taste. It wasn’t like he was the only one eating pre-heist either, many of the officers were eating quick bites in between planning.

Shinichi, however, was more concerned over who wasn’t eating. His soulmate still hadn’t had anything but the energy bar and now he tasted, what, some kind of cosmetic? It certainly didn’t taste like the lip balm he often felt on his lips during the colder months, and it felt more dense than lip balm too.

Shinichi was thrown out of his musings by the feeling of someone staring at him. Quickly jerking his head around, he scanned the area, no one was making eye contact with him, and no one looked like they were actively trying to avoid him, he did, however, notice the curator and his wife. They must have just arrived, as they were talking with Nakamori-keibu. The curator looked as Shinichi had assumed, a pompous man who was dressed formally, like he was trying to shove his wealth in everyone else’s face. His wife was just as pompous looking, her face heavily coated in makeup with intensely red lipstick. Which just brought his thoughts back to his soulmate.

It was rare for his soulmate to wear lipstick or lipgloss, and he usually only felt it in the evening, so was it cosmetics for dates? Shinichi didn’t want to think about that. He knew a lot of people dated outside of their soulmate, as it was rare to actually find one another, but what could he say, Shinichi was a romantic at heart.

Shinichi shook himself from those thoughts, he had to focus on the heist. He took a seat on one of the benches on the side of the exhibit hall, it was evident they were there for more aesthetic purposes rather than comfort. He pulled a copy of the heist note from his pocket, it was fairly straightforward, a clear acceptance of the curator’s challenge, but there was something else in it, something Shinichi hasn’t quite discovered yet. His suspicion was that the thief had incorporated a clue as to who he would disguise himself as in order to enter the museum, but it was a struggle to find in what way the thief had coded the hint.

He had lost himself trying to decode the note in every cypher he knew of, and when he had finally gotten it, it was just about the time of the heist. Almost jumping from his seat, Shinichi rushed to find the inspector, he was still standing on the other side of the exhibit by the gem with the curator and his wife, who were apparently quite displeased with division two’s plan. “It is just outrageous that you people even need to be here!” the curator exclaimed, with a voice as pompous as he looked.

“My husband had this place upgraded to the best security system in all of Japan, isn’t that right dear?” His wife, with a voice equally as pompous, added.

“Of course, just look for yourselves! There is absolutely no way Kaitou KID could break into this case,” the pair stalked over to the display case the jewel was resting in, “Only my handprint can open this case,” the curator explained, reaching for the panel keeping the case locked.

“Wait! Don’t get to close!” Shinichi yelled, still too far away to prevent what happened next, which was his wife, with a quick smirk aimed toward the detective, forcing the man’s hand onto the panel, unlocking the display case, and with an explosion of smoke, the curator’s wife was gone, and Kaitou KID stood smugly on top of the now empty case.

“Ladies and gentlemen!” KID gestered out to the clearly shocked group of officers and reporters, there only because the curator allowed it; Shinichi, however, was still making his way toward the thief. “I’m terribly sorry I have to cut tonight short, I do hope you forgive me, but I’m usually occupied on Saturdays, and as there is still time left in the day, I hope we can all go home and enjoy it.” That statement shocked Shinichi enough to stop his approach, so the phantom really did avoid Saturday heists. It was nice to confirm one of his suspicions, but it only raised more questions.

In a flash, KID had thrown another smoke bomb, the cover allowing him to remove himself from the display before the task force could make their move. Shinichi wasn’t certain which way the thief would escape, but his gut told him the roof was his best bet. He was pleased to find his hunch was right. Throwing open the door, he could clearly see the thief standing by the edge of the roof, his whole body showing ease and confidence. Before  Shinichi could even register it himself, he was already deploying a soccer ball which hurled toward the phantom at a breakneck speed, then-

Blood. Shinichi tasted blood, but he wasn’t bleeding, did his soulmate bite their lip or…

“Jesus, Tantei-kun, give a guy some time to react next time, did I do something to offend you?” Shinichi brought his attention back to the criminal in front of him. KID was holding the left side of his face, visibly turning red even in the dim light. And his lip… was busted and bleeding. Oh .

Shinichi couldn’t jump to conclusions, it could just be a coincidence, but, “KID, tell me, did you use some kind of cosmetic on your lips for your disguise today? Not on a mask, but your actual lips.” KID, through his pain, gave Shinichi a questioning smirk.

“Why detective, I didn’t know you were interested in cosmetics. To answer your question, yes, I did, it was a lovely shade called “He’s With Me”. Don’t ask me why they name lipsticks these kinds of things, I don’t understand it either.” Okay, well, Shinichi didn’t need all that information.

“KID, what have you had to eat today?”

“I really don’t understand the interrogation, Tantei-kun, first you hit me in the face with a soccer ball, now you sound like my mother asking about how I’ve been eating.”

“Please, KID, just tell me.” The thief seemed to consider it for a couple seconds.

“Well, it’s a heist day and it was kind of sudden, so I had to do a bit of setup and recon this morning, so, I don’t know, I guess I just grabbed a power bar and some coffee, as vile as straight black coffee is.”

Well great. Shinichi had no idea what to do with this information. Well first I should probably… “KID, I think we’re soulmates.”

“What?”

“Yeah, I’m fairly certain. I made chocolate chip pancakes this morning with a side of bacon, then for lunch I went to a deli and got a turkey sandwich on rye bread with lettuce, tomato, and provolone cheese.”

“…Was the bread toasted?”

“Yeah.”

“… You really need to take me to all of these places, Tantei-kun, do you know how tragic it is to crave something and then have absolutely no idea where to find said dish? I have been searching for that yakisoba place for months .” Despite himself, Shinichi let out a little laugh.

“Well, like you said, there is still time left in the day”

“You mean, you’re fine with…this?” KID gestured to himself, a small, genuine smile on his lips.

“Only if your okay with dating a detective and, you know, you don’t try to assault anyone, and I think those are pretty reasonable standards.” KID laughed, a sound Shinichi could listen to for the rest of his life.

“Well detective, I think we have ourselves a date.”

WARNING: MAJOR CHARACTER DEATH
Summary:Kaito reaches out to Shinichi after a long period of silence.
Written Dec 2017
Read on AO3

Shinichi,
It’s been awhile since we last saw each other. I hope you’ve been okay. You always knew me best, I hope we can see each other again here soon. Call me when you can XXX-XXX-XXXX
Best, Kaito

Shinichi,
It’s been a few weeks since my last letter. I haven’t received a response. I guess that maybe I have the wrong address? Are your parents still in the same place? It was before my father died that I last heard from them. Maybe I could visit them soon. Call me, XXX-XXX-XXXX
Best, Kaito

Shinichi,
The weather has been bad lately. I don’t know why but I keep finding myself writing these letters. I don’t even know if you are getting them. I hope you understand. You always used to understand me best.
Best, Kaito

Shinichi,
I forgot to ask– How is Ran? I know you guys were on and off again for a long time. Are you two still together? I know that it was awkward when she found out about the Conan ordeal. I wondered how your relationship fared after she found out.
Best, Kaito

Shinichi,
Y’know, I had always hoped that it would be us. Together. In the end. I always had so much fun when we played together at my heists. Would you come back and play again if I set up a new one? Please let me know. XXX-XXX-XXXX
Love, Kaito

Shinichi,
Are you even getting these? I mean I’d understand if you weren’t. I’d always thought that you, out of everyone I knew, would be the one to travel the world. Maybe I should send them to your parents’ house for them to forward instead? I looked them up- they’re still living in that house that we used to get lost in together. Do you remember? I miss you. Please call me. XXX-XXX-XXXX
Love, Kaito

Shinichi,
Since you weren’t replying, I decided to look you up online. Everything is about the High School Detective phase. You don’t even have a Facebook. Didn’t you used to have one? What happened to it? This is making me worried please call me ASAP XXX-XXX-XXXX
Love, Kaito

Shinichi,
There are rumors. I hope they aren’t true. They say you’re dead. That you have been for a while. Was your breakup with Ran after the Conan discovery that bad? I did find that in an American paper. Is that where you moved to? I really hope I didn’t reach out too late. Were you able to read any of my letters? Am I writing to a dead man?
Love, Kaito

Shinichi,
I called your parents today. I dialed the number from memory. It was late at night, but knowing your parents I knew I could get them. They seemed so surprised to hear from me. We had a nice conversation until I mentioned you. I heard your mom choke up. Your dad took the phone outside before he told me what happened. Were you really that devastated after you broke up with your childhood crush that you wanted to end it? Or was there a deeper reason? I probably won’t send this letter, knowing that the rumors were true. Do you know what effect that had on the people around you? I even heard from those detectives-in-training you dragged around during the Conan incident. All of them miss you. Was it really only July that you did it? That was days before I sent the first letter out in the post. Would you still be here if I had gathered the courage to sit and write it just a week earlier? What an odd detective you are, Meitantei.
Love, Kaito

Summary:Prompt fill: We’re at an ugly Christmas sweater party and that thing is horrendous where did you even find that au, and “I tried so hard to meet you under the mistletoe that I knocked over the Christmas tree and now everyone at the party is staring at me” AU
Written Dec 2017
Read on AO3

How in the name of Jolly old St. Nick did this happen . Kaito stared dumbfounded at the detective across the room.He knew that there would be police officers at this party, Aoko had invited him to her father’s annual police Christmas Party for as long as he could remember, but seeing the high school detective was something else entirely. He had only returned recently, wrapping up a case that had kept him away for almost a year, or that would be what Kaito thought if he didn’t, a), help Kudo Shinichi take down that organization, and ,b), know that he was actually six at the time. In all of Kaito’s shock, he didn’t realize he had been staring, and Kudo had just whipped his head around back, sensing that someone was watching him. Kaito quickly turned back to Aoko, who was currently perusing the buffet table.

“Aoko!” Kaito said, maybe a bit too enthusiastically, “do they have those chocolate chip cookies like they did last year?” Aoko, who jumped a little when Kaito spoke, turned to give him an inquisitive look.

“Yeah, they do, but why do you…” Aoko trailed off, her gaze moving from Kaito’s face to something over his shoulder. “Oh sweet Christmas, he wins!”

“What?” Kaito snapped his fingers to regain Aoko’s attention. “What on Earth are you talking about?” Aoko looked at him, in a ‘are you serious right now?’  kind of way. “I’m talking about that guy’s sweater, there is an ugly sweater contest, remember?”

“Duh I remember, why do you think I’m wearing this, for fun?” Kaito gestured to his own torso, that was covered by a sweater of his own design. He had hot glued an entire advent calendar to the front and drew a stick figure Christmas scene on the back, and he had sewn the most obnoxiously colored lights he could find across the whole thing, and of course they lit up. He did all this work, and now Aoko was saying he won’t even win? He won every year, it wasn’t possible. “So, point this guy out for me, who could possibly have an uglier sweater than me?” Kaito said, turning back around to face the expanse of the room.

“There,” Aoko replied smugly, “the guy that kinda looks like you.” Kaito scanned the room until he saw who she was pointing at, Kudo Shinichi, “Great,” Kaito thought and, wait, “ Oh eggnog, what isthat?!”

Distracted by the detective’s presence, Kaito neglected to notice the absolutely horrendous roadkill that made Kudo Shinichi’s sweater. The thing had a stuffed reindeer piercing through the detective’s torso, surrounded by an actual wreath decorated with candy canes and gingerbread men , and just to add insult to injury, Kudo also had lights sewn into the sweater, similar colors to, but his were shaped like snowflakes.

“Aoko,” Kaito deadpanned, “I can’t believe that thing exists.”

“Me either, Kaito, it looks like you’re going to have to give up your throne.” Kaito turned away from the amazing sight to eat some pity cookies, it just wasn’t fair, Kudo was already stupid pretty, crazy intelligent, and now it turns out he is also a master at tacky sweaters? It was like the man wanted Kaito to fall in with him. Aoko gave him a sympathetic pat as he nibbled on a cookie. “There is always next year Kaito.”

After moping around the party for another hour, trying to make sure Kudo didn’t spot him, the judges decided that, yes Kudo’s sweater was a monstrosity that should not exist in this world, Nakamori found Kaito in order to give him his condolences for losing the crown. “Attention ladies and gentlemen!” One of the organizers stood on a chair, cupping her hands around her mouth in a faux megaphone, “It’s getting close to midnight, and you all know what that means! Mistletoe Mines!” There was a mix of groans and cheers throughout the partygoers, Kaito, well, he would have been one of the Scrooges of the bunch if it hadn’t been for the detective in the room.

The police holiday party had a very… interesting tradition, from eleven to midnight, mistletoe was hung everywhere . Standing at the dessert table, mistletoe. Asking the DJ for a certain song, mistletoe. Just standing in the middle of the room, slightly off center, you better believe there is mistletoe. Of course, they didn’t expect people to go in for a full-blown kiss, something chaste on the cheek was enough, but you had to kiss whoever was under the mistletoe with you, otherwise you had to face a punishment, and the police force knew some punishment games. It was a relatively well liked tradition overall, and if someone was seriously against smooching, they always got a pass. The women of the TMPD were always thankful for Kaito’s attendance. If he saw some lady get stuck under the mistletoe, looking very uncomfortable, or warily watching a coworker start to make their way over, he would rush in and present the lady with an overly dramatic declaration of love, then kiss the back of the lady’s hand. Kaito was the only one allowed to get away with it.

He continued the tradition this year as well. It had only been ten minutes since the mistletoe had been hung up, and he had already rushed to the aid of three women, they were all incredibly used to Kaito’s help at these parties, so they greeted his declaration and kiss with an equally dramatic rejection, and Kaito, wearing a Santa hat and ridiculously ugly sweater, would feign sorrow and walk away dejectedly. All three events were met with applause and a little bow from both parties.

Kaito’s mood was starting to brighten, then he saw Kudo standing under the mistletoe by the insanely large Christmas tree. He. Had. To. Get. Over. There. Aoko turned to say something to him, but only found a dust cloud, he was already sprinting across the room to be the first to Kudo, who looked quite flustered when one of his companions, Ran if Kaito remembered correctly, informed him that, yes, he was under the mistletoe and, no she would give him an out. Bless her.

In all of Kaito’s distraction, a state which has seemed to happen more tonight than any other preceding it, he forgot about the ten foot tall Christmas tree. Which he managed to smack straight into. And watched in horror as it began to fall. There were gasps, some small yells, and then, the tree was suspended, mere inches from colliding with the floor, ornaments precariously swinging back and forth on their branches. And Kaito, put on his best poker face and gave the best “ Tada! It’s magic! ” pose. Everyone was silent for a solid minute before they burst into applause as the tree slowly righted itself.

Kudo though, Kudo still looked at him in absolute terror, which, to be fair, he was in the line of tree. ‘ Oh Kris Kringle I almost crushed Kudo’ Kaito thought, in horror. He hoped to God he wasn’t blushing as furiously as he thought he was. Slowly, apologetically, Kaito walked toward Kudo.

“Aren’t you glad you weren’t just crushed by a Christmas tree, I think I deserve a reward.” ‘ STUPID, STUPID, KAITO WHAT? REALLY? YOU JUST ASKED HIM THAT? ARE YOU AN IDIOT?’

“ I suppose,” Kudo looked at Kaito thoughtfully for a moment before leaning in and kissing him on the cheek “Merry Christmas you stupid thief.”

Well, Kaito knew he had to be blushing now.

Summary:Prompt fill:  Person A: “Welcome to my humble abode.”
Person B: “This is a tree house.”
Written May 2017
Read on AO3

The heist had taken a turn for the worst, at least, it had in Shinichi’s case. Presently, Kaito stood in front of the detective quite stunned, as the man had just tried to stop KID from escaping, he had attempted to kick his soccer ball at him. It backfired. Kaito had quickly maneuvered to the left, behind a glass pane he had set up for one of his tricks, which Shinichi had accounted for, but failed to take note of the large piece of glass; however the glass held, and Shinichi ended up with a face full of soccer ball. Now he was passed out, on the floor, in some out of the way shrine displaying  a holy gem they had kept hidden for ages and refused police aid for. Kaito had absolutely no idea what to do with the detective, if the members of the shrine found Shinichi in here they would most certainly have him arrested for trespassing, they had even threatened the police with such, so there was only one thing he could do. Luckily, Shinichi had been the first, and so far the only , person to find him, so kidnapping the detective without anyone noticing would be simple. So he did.

~~~~~~~

Shinichi’s head ached. Was it usually this miserable to be hit with a soccer ball? He almost felt guilty for aiming at KID so many times, but not only had Shinichi hit himself with his own soccer ball, he had also been thrown off balance and hit the floor, hard. Speaking of, how had the heist gone? The light meeting his still closed eyes made his headache worse, so he must have been knocked out for the rest of the night. The people at the shrine were adamant about not having anyone unrelated enter the shrine and that they could protect the jewel themselves, so he must have been arrested for trespassing. The birds cooing were too loud, did they have to be cheerful this early? Why could he hear birds this clearly? It was like they were right on top of hi- Shinichi opened his eyes and let out a little yelp. A bird, a dove he noted, had been laying on his chest, far too close to his face for comfort. The dove, similarly startled, quickly flew off of him and came to rest on a man’s arm.

“Finally awake, Meitantei?” The smug voice could only belong to one person, someone who, at this moment, Shinichi was glad to see. Shinichi sat up slowly, trying his best not to agitate the pounding headache, and looked at KID more closely. He was dressed in a black shirt with black pants, a black baseball cap low over his eyes, his incognito gear then , Shinichi thought. His eyes were as well hidden as always, but his smug grin was as clear as day.

“I have to be honest,” Shinichi started, a smug grin of his own, “I’m relieved I’m somewhere I’m not sure of instead of in holding.” KID laughed, a honest laugh, his grin becoming more genuine for just a second before the cheshire smile returned.

“How do you know we aren’t in a cell of some sort?”

“Because cells don’t let you keep pets,” he pointed at the dove perched delicately on KID’s shoulder, “and they don’t have floors and walls made of wood with completely open windows…” Shinichi’s sentence drifted off, much to KID’s amusement. The detective’s confident air quickly turned curious, his face scrunching up as he tried to deduce where he could be without aggravating his headache to much. Deciding to let the detective off the hook, Kaito spoke up.

“Detective, welcome to my humble abode!” He gave a grand gesture, throwing his arms open as if to indicate how amazing the small room was, the dove on his arm, and a few perched around the room flew out the window just past Shinichi head just for added effect.

“KID,” Shinichi paused, confirming his next words before he said them, “this is a tree house.” KID kept his arms spread as if he were expecting some sort of acknowledgement or applause; however, Shinichi gave him no such thing, slowly standing and brushing himself and straightening his clothes. “I appreciate you keeping me from being arrested, as ironic as it is, and I appreciate you letting me rest somewhere instead of just dumping me outside of the heist site, but I have to get going, I have things to do today.” He looked around for a door out of the room, a quick glance out of a window told him it was far to high up in the tree for one to simply jump out of, so there had to be a way to climb out. To his dismay, the only exit he could see was a trap down beneath KID’s feet.

“Come on, detective.” KID crossed his arms, frowning in a way that was clearly meant to be an exaggeration, “Do you dislike me so much that you don’t want to spend some time with lil’ ol’ me?” Shinichi stared at him for a few moments, an expressionless face meeting a pouting lip with what would be puppy-dog eyes if Shinichi could see them, before he eventually sighed and sat back down on the bed.

“Magician Under the Moonlight, Heisei Lupin, the great thief, Kaitou KID, wants me, a detective, to stay and have a chat, in his super secret base, a treehouse.” He said it in a mock-serious tone, more of a statement than a question, but KID seemed pleased the detective had understood what he wanted. “Well then, what does the great thief want to know about me that he doesn’t already? My favorite book? Favorite soccer player? Favorite food?” KID shook his head, still giving Shinichi his smug smile.

“Of course not, I already know all of those things. What I want to know is,” he paused, seemly for dramatic effect, prompting Shinichi to tell him to continue, “Do you have a lover?” The room went quiet, neither spoke for quite a while, Shinichi too stunned to respond. His mind thinking of all the possible reasons as to why Kaitou KID would ask him such a question. The doves, who had returned to perch in several different windows, started to coo nervously and flew closer to KID and looked at him curiously.

“Why would you want to know something like that?” Shinichi final responded, his face displaying just how wary he was of what KID would do with the information. KID merely shrugged in return, casually leaning back into a window frame.

“I was just curious.”

“About a rival’s love life?” Another shrug from KID.

“Why not, I already know everything else about you. A thief has to stay informed.” Shinichi sighed, visibly mulling over the question before properly answering.

“I don’t have a lover, no, but there is someone I’m interested in.” KID stood a little straighter and leaned, intrigued, in Shinichi’s direction.

“Oh? Do go on detective, who’s the lucky lady? Still Miss Mouri, perhaps? Or is it some young thing in the police force? Just say the name I’m sure to know them fairly well.”

“I would hope you did.” Shinichi said it like it was an unconscious retort to his statement which, frankly, made Kaito nervous. Was it someone on his taskforce? Was it Aoko? He really hoped it wasn’t Aoko, that would be painfully awkward.

“So you won’t tell me who they are?” Shinichi shook his head, a smug grin on his own face as Kaito was the one who now looked confused.

“Maybe you should just let me go so I can meet them.”

“You’re seeing them today?!” KID started pacing the length of the small room, “You go to one of my heists, in the middle of nowhere , when you know you have a date tomorrow? Seriously?” Shinichi shrugged.

“I wasn’t planning on being abducted by a master criminal.”

“You should have told me sooner! Go! Don’t be late!” Kaito threw open the trap door and gestured wildly to it. Shinichi laughed then walked over to the door.

“Wow, you really are a gentleman.” With that, Shinichi climbed out of the tree house and onto the world below, calling up one last time before leaving, “I’ll see you soon KID.” Kaito just closed the trapdoor and slid onto the floor, pulled off his hat and shoved his face into his hands, his doves surrounding him, sensing his foul mood.

“Great job Kaito,” he mumbled sarcastically, “You get your crush alone in a cute little tree house hideout, get him to tell you if he likes anyone, then encourage him to go on a date with that person, perfect!” he pulled his bag out from beneath the twin sized metal bed Shinichi had been sitting on, and pulled out his phone. He had several missed calls from Aoko and one text message.

A : Bakaito, I called and rang your doorbell far too many times to count. I wanted to tell you in person, but I guess this will have to do if it gets you back here. I got you a date with that detective you’re always gushing about, you’re welcome, it’s today, so don’t be late!

Kaito read and reread the message multiple times before it finally sunk in and, as soon as it did, the doves were all in a stir as Kaito grabbed his bag and practically leapt out of the tree house. He was a gentleman after all, he shouldn’t keep his date waiting.

Summary:Prompt fill: Person A and Person B are forced to attend a single’s party, and nobody knows they are dating. 
Written Feb 2017
Read on AO3

Shinichi didn’t really understand why he had been invited to the party he was currently at. Well, he kind of knew so that was a lie. He was there because Ran had told him that she didn’t want to go alone, even though it was a singles awareness party; being alone was kind of the point. He had been talking to Kaito and found out that Aoko was the one that had invited Ran, so at least he had someone to blame, other than his best friend, for him showing up to the party.

He was a bit upset that he had yet to see Kaito here, he was coming because he was part of the planning committee along with Aoko and some girl named Akako that he had heard about from Kaito, apparently they had all gone to highschool together.

He still found it quite entertaining when Kaito went off about some grudge he held against Akako, so Aoko had invited Ran and Hakuba to piss him off that there were a bunch of detectives at the party (apparently when he called Kaito, Aoko had already informed him that she had invited Ran so Shinichi would probably be coming too).

He had apparently looked a little too happy when he found out Shinichi was coming and Aoko got suspicious. They couldn’t actually tell anyone they have been dating for almost a year, because they had only officially met as Kaito and Shinichi 2 weeks ago.

Yet, here they both were, on Valentine’s day, not doing their original plans that they had made in December, and instead attending a freaking Singles Awareness party. That was supposed to last until midnight.

Shinichi was quite put-out by the whole situation because he was really looking forward to the plans they had made. Which included going to the exact restaurant the party was taking place in. He had a feeling that Kaito had a hand in the locations, purely for this reason.

He thought it was sweet of his boyfriend to get the party to be at the exact places they were planning on going anyway, since they had been dragged to, and in Kaito’s case forced to help with, a singles party.

“Ah! Kudo-san!”

Shinichi turned; before him was the man of the hour- one Kaito KID, also known as Kuroba Kaito.

“Kuroba-san, how are you?”

“I’m amazing. It’s good to see you again,” the man replied with a shit-eating grin.

This got some suspicious looks from the others present.

“Kuroba-san,” Ran intruded, “are you drunk?”

Aoko looked her straight in the eye and spoke, “Yes he is. I dragged him out of his house this morning because he was sobbing into his desk claiming ‘he doesn’t love me’. Still no idea who the ‘he’ is.”

Shinichi glanced to the thief in question. At least the other had the decency to looked ashamed. “Kuroba-san, would you like to come with me for a moment?” Shinichi held out his hand to Kaito and the thief’s hand was quickly placed on top. He dragged the other man to the bathroom because he needed to slap some sense into him. Shinichi looked at his boyfriend. “‘He doesn’t love me,’ huh? Do you really think so lowly of me?” When Kaito didn’t respond, Shinichi shook his head, “You are the most insecure jerk I have ever met Kaito.”

He grabbed the man by his shoulders and pulled him forward, into a kiss. As he pulled his face away, he shifted into a hug and whispered into the other’s ear, “But that’s why I love you.”

Kaito slowly pulled away with a slight blush on his face. “Uh, Shinichi-”

Shinichi looked at him with a puzzled look.

“You- were you aware we were followed?”

“What?” And, sure enough, when he turned around to see what Kaito was staring at, there was a crowd of Ran, Aoko, Akako, Hakuba, Heiji (when had he gotten here? was he even invited?), and a few others. Most of them had out their smart phones and were filming the scene. “Damnit. Guess we can’t sneak around anymore.”

Summary:Prompt fill: Person A and Person B are forced to attend a single’s party, and nobody knows they are dating.
Written Feb 2017
Read on AO3

“You want me to go to a what?”

“A singles’ party!” Ran repeated, slightly annoyed at her best friend’s obvious dislike to the idea. “Come on Shinichi! I’msingle,you’re single, and we both have nothing to do on Valentine’s day!” Ran crossed her arms with a “well?”  look on her face? ‘ Well’ Shinichi thought bitterly, ‘ Youare single, Iam dating a thief, and youcan’t know about that.’ He didn’t even know how Ran would react if he told her that he was in love with a guy .

“Fine.” he sighed out reluctantly. He hadn’t spent time with Ran in a while, and he missed her company. “I’ll go, but don’t expect too much enthusiasm out of me.”

“I never have Shinichi.”

~♢♧♢~

Ran had explained that the party was being hosted by a recent friend of her’s, a girl named Aoko. She didn’t give him a last name, which was strange, especially since Ran had a strange look on her face when she mentioned her. He did recognise the name, although he couldn’t place it.

Now he was standing in front of a house in Ekoda, right next to his secret boyfriend’s house. The name just clicked. Aoko Nakamori is Kaito’s best friend. He was screwed.

“Hurry it up Shinichi! Don’t lose your nerve now! Plus it’s cold out here!” Ran called from where she stood at the gate to the Nakamori household. Shinichi took several deep breaths and caught up with his best friend.

“Me? Lose my nerve? Never.”

Aoko answered the door soon after and they were quickly ushered in from the cold February day. Shinichi had regained some confidence, after all, there was no certainty that Kaito himself would be there. He walked in and started removing his shoes and heavy coat. “Thank yo-” he began to say to Aoko for inviting him to the party, but as he raised his head to meet their host’s eyes, he found himself staring at an equally shocked man of the magician/thief trade. So much for confidence.

“Oh! Kudo-san I don’t believe you have ever met my friend Kaito. I also have to introduce you to my friend Akako, and Hakuba is on his way, have you met him?” Shinichi was snapped out of his shocked state.

“No, unfortunately I haven’t had the opportunity to meet him in person, but I’ve heard much about how great a detective he is.” Aoko blushed ‘Oh?’ Shinichi thought, ‘ I believe Nakamori-san has more in mind then just having a singles party.’

“ Great detective my ass.” Kaito interjected, “He is constantly trying to have me confess to being Kaitou KID, even if I was, why would I just admit it?” Shinichi had to stop himself from letting out a snort.

“Kaito! I can’t believe you.”

“No, he’s right Nakamori-san, I don’t think KID is the type to give up so easily.”a beautiful woman with long black hair and red eyes said as she walked into the entryway.”

“I don’t like what you’re implying Akako.” Kaito returned.

“How about we all just get out of this entry way?” Ran finally spoke, looking very uncomfortable.

Everyone agreed and moved to the living room. Shinichi, being one of the first in the room, sat on a couch centered with the television while Aoko and Akako took a love seat and Ran took a chair. Kaito sat next to Shinichi on the other end of the couch, leaving as much room between them as possible. They switched the topic of conversation to something more civil and Shinichi relaxed until he noticed a repeating tapping sound next to him on the couch.

Kaito’s hand was resting on the center cushion in a manner which would not look unusual to the average person. His finger was tapping the cushion in an intentional way. Morse. Hey. Hey. Hey. was being tapped repeatedly.

Shinichi shifted his sitting position as inconspicuously as possible, moving his hand to make a question mark before resting several inches from Kaito’s fingers. Kaito was speaking, so Shinichi thought he hadn’t seen him, until his message changed.

This is weird

You think

I’m glad I get to see you on Valentine’s day

“Kudo-san?” Shinichi shot his head up, “Is there something wrong, you’re incredibly red.” Akako had been the one to ask. Shinichi sputtered, trying to find an acceptable response. Suddenly, a hand was on his forehead.

“Hmmmm, I think he has a fever.” Kaito remarked, his hand still resting on Shinichi’s forehead. ‘ At least everyone else in this room is now as embarrassed as I am’ the blushing boy consoled himself. ‘ And they don’t know any better so they will probably believe Kaito’s lie.’

“Oh, does he?” A new voice entered the room. A voice Shinichi recognized quickly. Hakuba. “I would like to double check, Kuroba, you can take your hand off of him now.” Which Kaito did with his own brand of embarrassment. Hakuba reached down to rest a hand on Shinichi’s forehead. After a beat, he stood back up. “He does have a fever.” the Brit concluded, much to Shinichi’s surprise, “He should probably lie down for a while.” Hakuba leaned down into the space between Kaito and Shinichi on the couch where both their hands were resting. “I hope you’re both aware that this is a singles’ party.” He whispered.

“Oh what a shame, none of us really know Kudo-san yet, right Kaito?” Aoko replied with a disappointed tone. Kaito nodded in turn with a nervous smile.

“Oh?” Hakuba questioned walking away from the couch, an eyebrow raised in questioned. “Well, it can’t be helped, even if I wanted to properly speak with him myself.”

“Kaito, why don’t you show him to dad’s room? He can rest there for a while.” Kaito quickly stood at Aoko’s suggestion, trying furiously to hide his flush.

“Of course, come on Kudo-san.” Shinichi stood in turn, apologized to the room for his retirement, and left for Nakamori-keibu’s room behind Kaito.

“Geez they are so obvious.” Ran muttered after they closed the door. The rest of the room agreed.

Summary: Prompt fill: “Watching Christmas films together”
Written Dec 2016
Read on AO3

Shinichi was in a bad mood. Not only was it yet another Christmas Eve that his parents were in another country for, it was below freezing and he had just finished solving his most recent case (some lady killed her husband with cyanide laced popcorn during a movie at the theater). He vaguely wished that he could go to a viewing of A Christmas Carol without having to solve a murder at the end. He was over it.

He trudged his way down the now snowy road back to his house. He honestly wanted nothing to do with people at that point. The Suzuki’s were holding their annual Christmas Eve party so he wouldn’t have to worry about anyone randomly appearing at his house and ruining his little free time(even though he was expected to attend; he could deal with having to fake sick for a few days to say that he fell ill on the day of and didn’t have time to call). Even Kaitou KID had planned a heist for the night and Shinichi was especially grateful for the lack of random appearances at his house the thief had been making for the last few weeks.

When Shinichi reached his house, he ditched his shoes, started a pot of coffee, grabbed a blanket and a book, and settled down on his couch for a relaxing evening.

Or, that’s what it was supposed to be.

Shinichi was half way through “The Flower of Utah,” his favorite chapter of A Study in Scarlett, when a resounding knock came from his front door.

He huffed as he stood up and set his coffee mug on a coaster on the coffee table. Whoever is at that damn door, Shinichi thought, better have a really good goddamn reason to bother me at- he glanced at his watch- 10:30 on Christmas Eve.  

Shinichi opened the door, harsher than necessary, admittedly. He was genuinely confused when the person he had sometimes seen around KID heists, often helping Nakamori-keibu, was standing in front of his door. Shinichi was immediately confused. He had never even seen this man this close before, let alone talked to him after that one time Nakamori attempted to introduce them.

“What the hell do you want?”

The man jerked slightly, surprised. “I thought that maybe something had happened ‘cause you didn’t come to the KID heist, so I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

Shinichi looked at the man in confusion, “You mean you didn’t hear? About the movie theater murderer?”

The man scratched his head. “I had, but Nakamori-keibu insisted that I come and check on you. Can’t really ignore a wish of the man that practically raised me.” He glanced to the side. “Especially since we live next to each other and he’d notice if I didn’t come back late enough to actually visit you,” the man mumbled. Shinichi struggled to hold back a slight chuckle at the man’s obvious frustration at this fact

Shinichi gestured inside, “Would you like to come in?”

The man nodded and walked forward into the house far enough for Shinichi to close the door before he took off his shoes and put on an extra pair of slippers that he saw. Shinichi led the other man into the living room in silence. Once he was seated, Shinichi went to pick up his coffee and noticed it was empty. He picked it up and stood, turning to the man, “Would you like some coffee…?”

“Ah, Kaito. And no thank you, coffee isn’t really my thing. Do you have some hot chocolate?”

Shinichi crinkled his brow in thought. If he remembered correctly, his mother tried to keep some in the house for when she would visit; apparently she didn’t understand how he and his father could enjoy “that damn rocket fuel.”

“I’ll have to look, but I should have some. Not sure how high quality it is. My mom is really the only one that drinks it.”

Kaito nodded, “That’s fine. I don’t really care about that kind of thing.”  

They both went into the kitchen and, in Shinichi’s case, began to look for the hot chocolate while Kaito poured another cup of coffee for him. Once Shinichi finally found the packets he tossed one onto the counter and pulled out a mug for Kaito. He tore it open and dumped it into the mug, which was quickly followed by milk out of the fridge and it was placed in the microwave. It finished, was mixed, and handed across the counter to Kaito.

Kaito looked down at what was probably the most expensive cup of hot cocoa he had ever had. First of all, it was an extremely expensive brand that he had seen his father buy at some point in France, and, second of all, it was made with milk. He had never been able to just casually use milk like that before and was completely baffled that there were people that made hot chocolate with milk instead of water, like, what the hell, how much money did this kid have at his disposal? Well, of course there was the fact that Shinichi’s parents were a famous actress and author respectfully, and the boy himself was a famous high-school detective, but at that moment Kaito’s brain conveniently forgot that information, leaving him watching the detective’s retreating back in confusion as Shinichi left the kitchen.

Kaito was startled out of his thoughts by a “You coming or what?”

Kaito headed back into the living room to see Shinichi holding the remote control for the TV in one and and his coffee in the other while curled up under the blanket he had seen on the couch earlier.

Shinichi pointed to a blanket on the recliner, “Grab that one and come sit over here.”

Kaito did as he was demanded and settled in on the couch next to the detective.

“Hope a movie is okay, KID.”

Kaito turned to Shinichi with wide eyes, “How did you-”

“You might want to find a better hiding place for the monocle than your back pocket.”

“Ah- yes a- a movie is just fine.” Kaito dug the monocle out of his pocket and placed it on the end table next to him.

As the beginning of The Polar Express started, they both shifted until they were in a comfortable position, and if that position looked just a little too close to a couple cuddling, neither of them dared to mention it.

They fell asleep about the time the children were reaching the pole to meet with Santa. The last thing Kaito can remember is thinking, I knew Nakamori was trying to set me up for a date.

OUTMAKE:

Hakuba approached Kaito at the New Year’s party the Nakamoris were holding.”So, Kuroba. Where did you disappear to after the last KID heist?”

A blush came across the thief’s face as he thought about the night that he spent at Shinichi’s house and especially the moment when the detective finally woke up the next morning and stretched after standing up, exposing a small band of skin that Kaito had trouble trying not to stare at. Who would have thought that the detective would be that toned. “No- nowhere. Why do you ask?”

Aoko came up behind him, “Because you didn’t come home until almost noon on Christmas and Aoko was worried so she mentioned it to Hakuba-kun.”

Kaito’s mouth gaped like a thing as he tried to come up with an excuse that didn’t involve anything near the truth.

Akako walked up to them, “He was opening up his heart.”
They all stared at Kaito in shock. Nakamori-keibu, who had been listening into the conversation, smirked, he knew sending Kaito to that teenage-wannabe-detective’s house was a good idea.

Summary:Prompt fill: “Watching Christmas films together” –  Shinichi follows a family tradition.
Written Dec 2016
Read on AO3

It was cold outside. In fact, it was freezing, 0 degrees celsius according to the weather reports. Shinichi was glad that on days like these he was able to stay at home and do absolutely nothing.

It was Christmas and he was at home, alone, wrapped up in a blanket with a hot cup of coffee nestled in his hands. He knew that Christmas was supposed to be a time to gather with friends and family, but his parents were still running from Yuusaku’s editors and Sonoko hosted a big Christmas party yesterday and, whether it was fortunate or unfortunate, all of Shinichi’s friends are also Sonoko’s friends. Spending that much time with the same group of people was exhausting after the hours the party lasted for, and, thankfully, Ran understood he needed his space, as downtrodden she was that he was all alone in such a big house on Christmas.

He sighed at the thought of his best friend pouting in that ‘you should feel sorry for making me use this face’ way she had, and he sunk lower into the warmth of his fluffy blanket. He was practicing a Christmas tradition in the Kudo household, watch all of the Christmas movies possible. Yes, it seemed dumb, but when your mother had a role in at least half of the movies on the ‘Must Watch at Christmas’ list, and yes, there was an actual list, it became a staple in your household.

Shinichi never minded the custom. He would sit in the living room and his family would snack and make small talk over the movies they had watched so often that he was able to quote scenes from many of the films by the time he was eight, and they overall had a wonderful Christmas. It was an unspoken rule that the movies must be played from the moment the first member of the household woke up to the time the last member went to sleep. Even though Yuusaku and Yukiko weren’t in the country, he knew they wouldn’t pass over the practice, or rather, Yukiko would torture his father with the movies even if they were on the move.

Shinichi was in the middle of watching his fifth movie, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer , the list obviously had to include some classics, when he heard his front door creak open. The sound was trying to be inconspicuous, though Shinichi knew the perpetrator could have made their entrance completely silent if they wanted too. He glanced at the clock, a little past noon, and smiled. “Honey!” rang in from the entranceway, “I’m home!” Ever the one for theatrics, Shinichi knew the expected visitor had struck a grand pose by the door, waiting for him to walk over and witness the “glorious” scene.

Shinchi remained silent, eyes unwavering from the familiar film in front of him, as the figure from the hall made a small, sad noise. “Shinichi!” the sad voice cried, “You’re supposed to say ‘Welcome home dear’ and come give me a kiss!” The voice changed to mimic a stereotypical housewife before returning to the visitor’s normal tone, but Shinichi still remained silent, focused on the old, claymated movie. After a few more seconds of silence, Shinichi heard socked feet shuffle into the room to stand behind the couch. Determined to keep vigil, Shinichi neglected to acknowledge his presence.

Suddenly, cold hands placed themselves on Shinichi’s neck, causing him to jump. “Kaito!” he finally cried, still refusing to turn around, but sinking lower into the blanket to escape the icy touch. “Be glad I put my coffee down when I heard you come in or you would be straight back outside!” His voice became muffled due to his soft sanctuary from the cold, but Kaito could hear him just fine.

“It’s your fault for not acknowledging me Shin-chan~ What’s so important that you couldn’t even greet me, hm?” He could hear, rather than see, Kaito’s smirk stretching across his face. Understanding he would not be let off until he gave Kaito an answering, Shinichi sighed and shifted around in his cocoon until only his eyes were staring, quite annoyed, at the intruding magician.

“Christmas tradition.” was the short answer. Kaito cocked his head and scrunched his eyes in confusion.

“Christmas tradition? What, watching movies?” Shinchi hummed in confirmation as he returned his gaze to the children’s movie. “Aw man,” Kaito sighed, draping himself over the top of the couch,” I thought you said we should stay here because you didn’t want to have a super romantic, one-of-a-kind Christmas date, you could have just told me you wanted to spend the day practicing a family tradition with me, Shin-chan~” The teasing lilt in his voice caused Shinichi to groan internally, he could feel the blush starting to color his cheeks. “Well,” the source of Shinichi’s woes continued, “It’s a great thing I brought all of these snacks.”

True to his word, Kaito hopped over the couch and brandished several grocery bags full of chips and sweets. He opened the bags, set them on the table, and turned, expecting praise from the detective. “Hot chocolate is next to the coffee pot.” Kaito smiled, knowing that was the closest to praise he would receive, and ran to the kitchen to create a hand warmer of his own.

After acquiring his hot choclety milk he skipped-carefully-back to the couch where Shinichi had emerged from the blanket some. Kaito grabbed the second blanket folded over the back of the couch, settled under Shinichi’s blanket, and threw the new one on top of them both. Shinichi gave him a soft smile before turning his attention back to the television.

The magician sighed contentedly as he focused on the familiar movie and copied Shinichi’s previous actions, sinking into the warmth of the blankets, the soft weight of them comforting. “Hey Shinichi?” The detective made a noncommittal noise in response, “I don’t want to get up to change the movies.”

“Don’t have to.” Shinichi responded, “They are all burned onto a set of two discs. This is the fifth of the second set.” Kaito nearly choked on his drink. They had what?

“You mean to tell me, your family has compiled, what, like, twenty movies on a set of  just two discs?” Shinichi, again, only hummed in response. “How did they even manage to do that?” Kaito couldn’t believe the Kudos were so determined with their Christmas tradition that they would copy so many movies onto so little discs. Shinichi gently nudged Kaito with his foot and looked over, smugly, at him. Kaito giggled, sure he knew where his detective was going by the look on his face.

“It’s a Christmas miracle.”

Summary: God, Shinichi thought, I couldn’t be more helpless, could I? Shinichi heads home from a heist, but KID has a surprise for him.
Written Nov 2016
Read on AO3

Shinichi watched as KID fell into the night. The updraft from the momentum of his fall caused him to come back into Shinichi’s sight when the hang-glider finally opened.

The thief smirked in his direction when he saw the detective still looking, but Shinichi never saw it.

At that exact moment he looked down, not wanting him to believe he was worried.

As KID disappeared over the horizon, Shinichi slowly turned and started down from the roof of the (previous) home of KID’s latest target. When he encountered Nakamori-keibu, he was stopped.

“No luck tonight, Kudou?”

Shinichi shook his head in response.

“Well, we’ll get KID next time,” Nakamori said. “You doing okay Kudou? You’ve been acting funny during the last few heists.”

Shinichi nodded and pushed past the man, not giving him a straight answer.

As most of the task force looked after him in slight worry, he walked away from the heist location toward his home.

(ﾟoﾟ;;

When he entered his house, he noticed something was off. There were footsteps. Slight, but there. Shinichi immediately went into defensive mode. No one but him lived there anymore. No one should be anywhere close to his house except for the professor.

He quietly stepped toward the noise and stopped at what he saw.

There in his kitchen sat a thief. Not just any thief, but Kaito KID. It should have been impossible for the other man to enter, but there he was.

Shinichi stepped forward, “What do you want?”

The thief looked at him, “Oh, you know, a little bit of this, a little bit of that.” Shinichi stood apprehensive against the counter as KID stood up and started walking forward. “But, mainly, I wanted this.”

In three seconds, KID crossed the rest of the room and placed a gentle kiss on Shinichi’s cheek.

The detective grabbed the thief, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

KID smirked, “Not much.”

Shinichi shifted his hold to the thief’s collar and pulled him forward until their lips met.

KID pulled away and vanished before Shinichi recovered from the situation he had put himself into.

(ﾟoﾟ;;

The next day Shinichi returned the gem KID had stolen the day before with a slight blush on his face and a new number in his phone contacts, one saved under the name Kuroba Kaito.

God , Shinichi thought, I couldn’t be more helpless, could I?

He shook off those thoughts. He had a dinner date to get ready for.

Summary: Kaito can’t seem to recall ever seeing someone pull a rabbit out of a hat, and neither can Shinichi. So Kaito decides to attempt this apparently unseen feat.
Written Nov 2016
Read on AO3

“Hey, Shinichi.”

“Shinichi.” Shinichi felt a poke on his check. He only shifted around in his favorite chair in the library.

“Heyyyyyyyyyyyy, Shinichiiiiiiiii.”

With a huff, said boy sent down his novel,he was rereading A Study in Scarlet for the upteenth time, and turned to look at the nusiance. Kuroba Kaito had been bothering him even though he knew this was precious down time for Shinichi.

“What Kaito?” His tone was clearly exasperated; however, it didn’t seem to deter the other boys always cheerful demeanor, in fact, Shinichi’s weariness to his antics seemed to only make Kaito happier.

“Have you ever seen a magician pull a rabbit out of a hat?” Kaito’s lips quirked from a pleased expression into something one could only describe as a knowing smirk.

“What?” Shinichi’s own expression had been clouded with confusion as that was one thing he hadn’t expected the magician to ask, to watch a trick, maybe, but certainly not about whether he had ever seen a certain trick before. He thought over it, trying to remember what little magic shows he had ever seen, mostly cheap ones for kids’ birthdays or even the one he had seen when he was a child, the first time, though the second had been remedied some time ago after the fall of the Black Org., when he saw Kuroba Toichi perform after his family had been personally invited by the magician. “I don’t suppose I have, why?”

“Well, it’s a cliche, isn’t it?” Shinichi only nodded in response and Kaito continued, “I grew up surrounded by magic and even I have never seen a magician pull a live rabbit out of a hat.” Shinichi’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, Kaito, self titled ‘Magician Extraordinaire’ had never seen a rabbit come out of a hat. Noticing his surprise, Kaito chuckled a little, “I mean, I’ve seen my dad make doves appear out of a hat and even other magicians pull stuffed rabbits out, but never a live, real rabbit.Odd, isn’t it?”

“I guess.” Shinichi mumbled,” So, does that mean I get to see it happen right now?”  He quirked an eyebrow at the magician who was still draping himself over the side of Shinichi’s chair, although the magician had jumped to his feet soon after Shinichi’s question had left his lips.

“Bingo~ That’s why you’re my favorite, Meitantei, you always know what I’m thinking!” He moved to stand directly in front of Shinichi’s chair while Shinichi, secretly amused, stared dead-faced at the quirky look alike. He knew what he had induced from the magician, but he didn’t mind since the tricks were always entertaining. “My dearest gentleman!” Kaito gave a bow and a wink at Shinichi, who only rolled his eyes in response. “ I will know perform a most amazing feat, the likes of which I know you have never seen before!” An even harder eye roll escaped from Shinichi almost unconsciously.

“I just told you I hadn’t seen anyone pull a rabbit out of a hat before, you aren’t allowed to ham it up.”

“Tantei-kun!” Kaito huffed childishly, “You have to let me have my fun!”

“Fine, fine.” Shinichi relented, which returned Kaito’s smug look.

“Now then, for my first-!” Kaito started.

“And only” Shinichi interjected.

“-trick!” Kaito finished with an annoyed look at Shinichi. “I will pull a rabbit from a hat!” With that said, Kaito pulled a white top hat out of nowhere. ‘ Scratch that ’ Shinichi thought, ‘ That’s KID’s “Silk designer hat”’ and he made a mental note to tease Kaito about it later but for now….

“Do you just carry that with you?” Kaito laughed.

“Of course I do, tantei-kun. What if I need to be mysterious? Or need something to pull a rabbit from?” Cue another eye roll from Shinichi, but he made no further comments.

“Now then.” Kaito started again, “ As you can see, I am holding a perfectly normal hat-” Shinichi scoffed, the day KID’s hat is normal is the day Shinichi retires, but didn’t comment. “With absolutely no slits or a false top.” To prove his point, Kaito crushed the top of the hat down and pushed it back up from the inside. “ And now,” Kaito faced the open end of the hat at Shinichi so he could see there wasn’t anything inside, “ I will pull an extremely adorable creature from this hat!” With a flourish, Kaito made an extremely clichéd magic wand, one found in a child’s magic kit, appear in his hand.

“I could see that up your sleeve you know.”

“Not the point Meitantei.” Kaito didn’t even falter in his act, giving Shinichi a comment that was meant to be sound irked, but it was presented in a cheerful, showman’s tone. Amused, Shinichi smiled and remained quiet. “Now, if there’s no more interruptions from the audience,” A glare at Shinichi, his only audience, “ Kaito held the hat up with a flourish, circled the brim with an “Abracadabra!” and tapped the brim a couple times. To Shinichi’s amazement, nothing happened.

“Wow. I’m sooooo impressed.” Shinichi revealed none of his actual amusement to the magician’s failed trick. Kaito let out a disappointed noise and sent another glare towards Shinichi for his sarcastic comment.

“This worked before…Oh!” Shinichi started at the magician’s loud exclamation. “I do believe there was something I missed preparing the trick, how silly of me!”  Kaito was obviously trying to look like he had made an innocent mistake, but his poker face was cracking, Shinichi saw him smirk, most definitely a KID smirk. Shinichi made a noncommittal smirk to humor him. “Silly me forgot to acquire an assistant!” ‘ Oh no ’ was Shinichi’s only thought before Kaito pulled him from his chair. “I’m so glad I had such an excited volunteer from the audience.”

Shinichi, obviously not happy and still the only member of the audience gave an unamused, “Happy to help.”

“Of course you’re happy to help, otherwise you wouldn’t have been chosen!” Shinichi thought best not to reply. “ Now then, with the help of my lovely assistant,” Shinichi scoffed, “ I will finally pull a rabbit from a hat.”

“Took you long enough.”

“Now,” Shinichi had been ignored, “ If you would please hold my hat.” Kaito offered the top hat to him, but Shinichi didn’t grab it immediately, he paused long enough to grab Kaito’s attention before taking it from him. “What, Tantei-kun? Afraid of my hat?”

“No, just thinking about how I have just been handed incriminating evidence from Kaitou KID himself, and how I could just take this to Nakamori-keibu and have you arrested.” It was Shinichi’s turn to smirk as Kaito took on an expression of exaggerated horror.

“You wouldn’t! Oh, how it feels to be betrayed by the one closest to you!” Kaito threw a dramatic hand to his forehead looking distressed and betrayed.

“I said I was thinking, not doing.” His joke had backfired, as after his dramatics, the thief had ‘fainted’ into Shinichi’s arms, which were already busy holding the ‘incriminating evidence in his hands. Kaito chuckled and stood back up.

“I didn’t know you cared that much, Meitantei! Hakuba would’ve already cuffed me!” Kaito wiped imaginary dust off of his pants and straightened up.

“You would never walk into Hakuba’s house and demand to show him a magic trick.” Kaito narrowed his eyes.

“Touché, Meitantei, touché.” He immediately jumped back into his performer’s demeanor with, “Well now, since that debacles settled, let’s continue with the trick!” Shinichi smiled and let the other continue to rest of the imaginary audience. “Now, with my assistant holding the hat, I will finish my trick.” Again, Kaito circled the brim, but instead of his ‘Abracadabra’ he asked, “Shinichi, will you say the magic words for me?” Shinichi’s smirk returned.

“Holmes is better than Lupin.” Kaito looked agitated, but didn’t correct him, letting the detective have his fun, he was, after all, complying with his forced position of magician’s assistant. He tapped the brim of the hat, holding eye contact with Shinichi.

“And voila!” the magician exclaimed. Shinichi looked down, expecting to find another empty but was genuinely shocked to find a small white and black spotted rabbit sitting in the hat. The creature was clearly a real rabbit, as it was moving around in the small confines of the top hat.

“How in the world? It would have been impossible to keep a rabbit, even one as small as this one hidden like that.”

“Tut tut, tantei-kun!” Kaito was waving the wand in front of his face instead of his finger. “You should know by now that a magician never reveals his secrets!” Shinichi, however, wasn’t listening as he was much more interested in deducing where Kaito could have kept the rabbit. ‘ It would have had to have been on his person’ Shinichi thought ‘There was absolutely no other opportunity to retrieve the rabbit from elsewhere.’ Kaito knew a deduction face when he saw one, he didn’t spend all that time with Shinichi taking down the Black Org. and learn nothing about the detective’s habits after all, so he resigned himself to waiting for Shinichi to return to the mortal plain of existence.

“I have absolutely no idea how you did that.” Shinichi finally mumbled after about 5 minutes of dead silence, in fact, Shinichi had been so absorbed in deducing the trick that he hadn’t noticed Kaito removing the rabbit from the hat and sit down with it in Shinichi’s previously occupied chair.

“Really?” As Shinichi turned to face the magician he watched the other’s face light up in pure joy. “You seriously have no clue? For real?” The thief’s face only brighter as he registered the fact that his great detective couldn’t deduce how he pulled a rabbit from a hat. Shinichi sighed in defeat.

“Really, I honestly have no clue, but then again, I have no drive to seriously figure out how you did it.” There was that smirk again.

“Well, that’s good enough for me.” Kaito wouldn’t let the detective’s smugness blanket the fact he had admitted defeat. He continued to stroke the rabbit with a pleased expression as Shinichi knelt down in front chair to pet the rabbit as well.

“So,” Shinichi started, “are you going to keep it?” Kaito looked up, confused.

“What do you mean?”

“The rabbit, are you going to keep it? I know for a fact you didn’t own a pet rabbit before this.”

“Oh…” Kaito diverted eye contact, looking instead at a completely uninteresting bookcase like it held the answers to life’s greatest questions.

“Please don’t tell me you decided to buy a rabbit purely to impress me with a magic trick.”

“…Did it work?” Kaito shyly looked back at Shinichi. Embarrassed, it was Shinichi’s turn to look at the bookcase, his face flushing.

“Maybe.” Kaito’s smugness returned as he heard Shinichi’s soft reply.

“See, then it doesn’t matter that I bought a rabbit purely to impress you with a magic trick!”

“Kaito!” Shinichi turned back to face the magician, all traces of embarrassment gone. “You know you’re going to have to keep it now, you subjugated the poor thing to one of your tricks, that’s the least you could do.” Kaito looked thoughtful for a moment.

“Or…. Aoko could receive a very early birthday present.”

“I can’t believe you.” Shinichi let out a sigh.

“So you wanna give the rabbit to Aoko?”

“Yeah, we’re going to give the rabbit to Aoko.” Kaito gave a genuine smile and leaned over the small creature to give Shinichi a peck on the nose.

“You always go along with my crazy schemes, I knew there had to be a reason I love you.” Shinichi smirked at him.

“Are you sure it isn’t because I helped you pull off those heists to take down the Black Org.?”

“See?” Kaito replied, “Crazy schemes!” Shinichi laughed and leaned in to give Kaito a small, chaste kiss.

“Sure, taking down a very large, very dangerous crime syndicate through careful planning was a crazy scheme, now you want to go surprise Aoko?” Kaito laughed.

“I would love too.”