Conan was tired. Really, Conan was always tired. Shinichi was always tired, but he could handle it then. (Or maybe it was just that he could ignore it better, a mug of coffee warming his hands.) But he was tired more than usual today. It felt like the earth was constantly pulling at him all day, demanding him to let go to gravity and be taken into its embrace, sinking into the earth. If not for the KID heist tonight, he might even be inclined to take the offer. The week had been long.
Really, it was a wonder he’d even made it to the heist. He’d seen the way Ran had looked at the dark circles that’d started increasing over the days, to the point that not even the shadow of his glasses hid them. Without Sonoko dragging them, there was no way she would’ve let him go. He’d never thought he’d thank Sonoko for something. Even if it was just in the safety of his own mind.
By the time the heist started, Conan felt even more dead on his feet. At this point his body had begun to sway. Somewhere, he remembered Ran telling him at one point fifteen hours a week was not a ‘healthy’ sleep schedule. It never stopped him before. Now, it seemed it was close to doing that. Curse this smaller body and his lack of caffeine.
At 11:59 every light fizzled out. The task force went frantic, Nakamori-keibu and Suzuki-jiisan at the lead.
A voice echoed through the darkness.
One… Two… Three
The lights turned on right on cue. The time had just ticked to midnight. Both thief and gem had disappeared. As did the tiny detective, but nobody noticed that. They were all too used to the KID Killer being who knew how many steps in front of them all. Instead they focused on finding KID and the gem. Wherever they were, Conan would be, anyhow.
Floors above where the gem had once been, Conan stumbled out onto the roof. This had reached ‘week without sleep’ levels of tired. Which was dumb because it’d only been four days, between his last case and the Detective Boys keeping him awake. According to his record, he should be able to stay up for at least three more days with no trouble. Of course, that was when he had coffee and a quiet place to take power naps in. Not that he didn’t love the Detective Boys or appreciate Ran for taking him in. But none of them were really conducive to sleep and even his own house seemed to fail as a napping hideaway these days. Still, logic dictated that he should be good for at least long enough for his meeting with KID.
His body didn’t seem to care about logic. Against his will, his blinks got longer. White filled his vision as his body tipped. Then all he had was darkness and warmth.
When he woke, he had the vague feeling he was in a place he didn’t recognize. Opening his eyes confirmed it. There was a white comforter over him and the room lacked windows. The walls were a plain brown, instead of the blue he’d gotten used to. A figure in white appeared in the doorway, as if by magic. Appropriately so.
“You’re awake. Do you know how worried you had me, Tantei-kun? The door had barely closed behind you when you just fainted, I thought you’d been poisoned!” KID said from his place at the door, his monocle gleaming despite the shadows cast by his hat.
“It wouldn’t be the first time,” Conan mumbled. Louder, “How long was I asleep?”
“Thirteen hours.” The words were flat and KID seemed annoyed behind the monocle, arms crossed over his chest in a way that reminded Conan of Ran when she fully entered ‘disappointed big sister’ mode. Conan hummed.
“Not too bad.”
“Not too-” KID spluttered. It sent a thrill of quiet satisfaction through him. After all, it wasn’t easy to get KID to react like that. “Just how long do you usually sleep?!”
“My record’s two days.” Conan shrugged. “Though that was after a particularly grueling case that had me running around for a week and a half.”
KID’s eyebrows scrunched together. “And just how much sleep have you gotten recently to pass out like that?”
“Thirteen hours?”
“You haven’t slept till now?!”
“I’ve gone longer.”
“If you’ve gone longer then this isn’t exactly a glowing review of your sleep schedule.”
“As if you don’t spend days awake perfecting tricks.” Conan raised his eyebrows and with the way KID’s poker face suddenly went back up, he knew he’d hit the nail on the head. Hypocritical thief.
“You aren’t worried about me kidnapping you?” KID deflected and Conan rolled his eyes.
“KID, the only thing I’m worried about is how much trouble you’ll be in because I disappeared for half a day.”
“Aw, are you worried about me Tantei-kun?” KID cooed at him, tilting closer to the bed.
“Not particularly. But Ran does take care of me,” Conan said with a wry smile. He knew the implication was caught when KID’s face paled. “Unless you’ve texted her in my place?”
“I was… perhaps a bit worried about you,” KID looked away.
“Well now you can see that was unnecessary.”
“Shinichi. You fainted on me. I barely caught you.” Conan blinked at the use of his real name. But KID wasn’t done there, continuing with a hand waving in his general direction. “You, who throws himself into danger constantly. Who has been poisoned before. What was I supposed to think, but that my favourite detective had somehow managed to get himself hurt on one of my heists, right under my nose.”
Conan huffed. He could feel his cheeks burn with embarrassment and shame. He knew how important it was to KID that no one got hurt. “I’ll try to sleep before it happens again, alright?”
“Good. Why’d you even show up if you were that tired, anyway?” KID asked, tilting his head. Very pointedly, Conan did not answer. Instead he looked away to the bedside table where his glasses were folded. The thief already had a big enough head. Though apparently his silence was an answer of itself because Conan could feel the shift in the room’s presence as KID probably lit up like a damn Christmas tree. “Meitan tei~”
“Shut it.”
If KID knew kidnapping Conan to let him get some damn rest (and also to make sure he wasn’t dying , the tiny detective had passed out right in front of him without even a word!) would lead to this, he never would’ve done it. Or at least he would’ve considered it better first. He’d been working on a new trick when the alarm for one of his safe houses went off. It wasn’t until he was halfway there, he realized it was the same one he’d taken Conan to a week prior. He wasn’t completely sure whether the two were related. Since, as he said, the Mouri girl watched him and KID wasn’t really sure how he’d be able to get away and refind the safe house. It was likely it was just another thief. A burglar who noticed a normally empty house and took a chance. Though he wouldn’t lie, he’d be a bit miffed if another thief managed to get past his locks. Given that he’d made them. With the help of his kaasan.
He entered warily through a window, brim of his hat down low, prepared for either burglar or nosy detective. Neither were in the room he entered so he snuck through the small place, cardgun in hand just in case it wasn’t Tantei-kun. Except he didn’t run into anyone . Like his alarm had misfunctioned except he was rather certain it didn’t because he had a great security system, thank you very much. As a phantom thief he had to. There didn’t seem to be evidence of anyone. Until he made it to the bedroom. Curled and tiny in the middle of the sheets was Tantei-kun. His chest rose and fell with sleep, the sound of measured breathing just making it to him at the door, and his hair seemed to be mussed as if he’d been asleep for a while. Or about fifteen minutes, if he’d fallen asleep soon after hitting the bed. It was frankly adorable. KID was very tempted to leave him like that. But he wanted to know why his detective was here more.
Before KID could really get close to the bed, Conan stirred. Maybe he’d stared too long, he knew Conan was more perceptive of eyes on him than people normally were, just as he was. A grumble broke the silence of the room, sounding like it came from deep in his detective’s chest. “KID?” The voice was still half asleep. Soft but ragged, muffled as Conan’s face was turned into the pillow.
“Yes, Tantei-kun?” KID whispered into the distance between them.
“I’m a homicide detective,” Conan said.
KID tilted his head, confused, but decided to humour the half-asleep half-pint detective. “Yes, you are.”
Conan held himself up from the bed, just enough to look over at KID. Sapphire eyes blinked once before they truly opened, seemingly to take all of KID in. “Wake me up, and no one will ever find the body.”
KID froze. … what?
“Even Phantom Lady will have trouble finding all of you in the Thames.” The words were slurred and sleepy. Conan’s eyes slid to barely open and he swayed gently where he’d lifted himself partly off the bed. It would’ve been cute. Absolutely adorable . If not for those words. A shudder went through KID’s body. His face no doubt paled to a shade even his poker face wouldn’t hide. His detective could be quite scary even without his soccer balls, it seemed. He gulped.
“Alright.”
Conan nodded with a pleased smile, seemingly assuaged. Just like that he went back to sleep. KID blinked at him a moment longer before he retreated to the small living area. And promptly experienced a mini freak out. Because what the hell. Had Tantei-kun- Tantei-kun - broken into his safe house, just for a nap ? He looked back toward where his room was. Though he didn’t walk to the door, much as he wanted to double check. That threat was all he needed to cement in his brain that apparently, yes he had. For a reason he would get out of Conan. As soon as the chibi detective was awake and less-murdery. Which gave KID time to just. Sit. And think about this.
By the time Conan finally exited the room, somehow looking both refreshed and groggy, KID had himself fully back together.
“Coffee?” Conan’s voice croaked.
KID was about to deny him, but then realized he didn’t actually know if coffee would have any long term effects on shrunken detectives. Probably not? Mentally he shrugged and rooted through a cupboard to find Jii-san’s stash. ( He didn’t have coffee. Just non-bitter hot chocolate, thank you.) As he did, he absently set about grabbing the sugar and the powdered cream Jii-san also kept so Conan could adjust to his taste. Though his intruder struck him more as a black coffee drinker. That thought practically made him shudder more than the soccer balls did, though less than the earlier death threat had. Which was another one of those things connected to tantei-kun that would live on in KID’s mind, similar to the mystery train incident. He poured the coffee and set the three things in Tantei-kun’s reach. The boy blinked adorably before setting seriously about the task of adding some cream and sugar. (Less than KID personally thought was acceptable but some which was a general relief. Never before was KID glad his instincts were wrong.) It made him smile fondly. Perhaps his mother was right when she said he liked to flirt with danger. Since he’d already made the one drink, he set about the task of making a mug of hot chocolate for himself while Tantei-kun slowly woke up. As well as preparing a second mug of coffee the way he’d just seen Tantei-kun do. From the way his chibi detective swayed, he’d likely need it. The gesture was certainly appreciated. Conan lit up as KID crafted it. In a decidedly fond way that KID was sure only grogginess allowed him to see. They sat together for several peaceful, almost domestic moments. Unlike the first, the second cup Conan savoured. With each sip Conan seemed to slowly grow more alert. Privately KID began to think maybe whatever the reason Conan broke in, it was worth it just for this.
“So, Tantei-kun,” KID finally decided to break the silence when Conan was roughly half through his second cup. “What are you doing in my safe house?”
If Conan had been wearing his glasses right then, he’d no doubt be looking at him from over them. Like a librarian who wasn’t too thrilled with his louder tricks. As if it were obvious. Though , KID guessed, itwas , wasn’t it? “Taking a nap.”
“Inmy safe house,” KID repeated, because Conan didn’t seem to catch the most important part of that statement. As a detective, KID figured he should be able to pick details up better. Especially the important ones.
“Yes, well.” Conan took another slow sip of his coffee. “Everywhere else is quite loud.”
KID blinked at him incredulously. “You broke in because it’s quiet?”
“You can understand things.” Tantei-kun sounded pointedly surprised. Eyebrows raised and smirked curled on his lips. Annoyance bubbled to the surface. Taking place of any confusion and not-very-misplaced fear. What the fuck . And here KID had actually let Tantei-kun sleep. Ungrateful brat.
“Thanks for the coffee, KID.” Tantei-kun pushed himself from the seat and headed to the door with that as his goodbye. Leaving his mugs for KID to clean up. Before the door swung shut KID saw him put his glasses back on.
KID grumbled to himself as he put his safe house back in order, removing the two microphones Tantei-kun had left for him, before locking up to leave himself. Ungrateful brat.
“You wanted me to sleep more, didn’t you? I’m sleeping more.” Conan shrugged helplessly. Carelessly . Without a thought to KID’s already questionable sanity. KID kinda wanted to scream. Instead he kept his poker face up. This was the second time he’d snuck in to find Tantei-kun in his safe house. Asleep in his bed. Like Goldilocks who’d found the perfect spot and refused to leave despite it being home to three bears . Not that KID would actually hurt his little detective. Or anyone else, for that matter. But still, a detective breaking into a thief’s place. Maybe it was revenge for wanting to poke fun at him the first time this happened.
It was at the time Kaito was purchasing coffee because the safe house was getting low that he considered maybe he shouldn’t encourage it like this. Then he remembered Tantei-kun’s small body collapsing at the heist. And also the first time he found Tantei-kun in his safe house. He shivered at the idea of what threat may come if the detective found there was no more coffee. So really, it was a matter of safety. Both for himself and his favourite detective. And really, he had been seeming more rested lately. As with everything else Kaito had done, ultimately, he figured the good outweighed the weird.
(“You’ve bought coffee? Why?” Tantei-kun looked at him like that was somehow the strangest thing here.
“You’re scary before you’ve had coffee.” KID gave an exaggerated shudder that gave way to a smile when Tantei-kun glowered at him. “See? Scary~”)
Then Tantei-san had to find them. Or, rather, find Tantei-kun . Because there was no way he hadn’t followed the other detective. This was a nightmare right under Tantei-kun’s soccer balls. Having one detective at a safe house was bad enough. KID absolutely drew the line at two. (Especially if Hakuba planned to make it a reoccurring thing as Tantei-kun had. While he could deal with the one, he had plans for if Hakuba tried.) Especially with the second being Hakuba-bastard. It was bad enough being pestered at school!
A few minutes after KID got to the safe house- and spotted Conan in the bed through the open bedroom door- Tantei-san burst into the place like Aoko did his actual house in the mornings. Clearly she was teaching him. Tantei-san’s eyes swept the place like he was searching for something. Not just evidence (that wasn’t there). He knew the second Tantei-san noticed Conan when his shoulders stiffened in shock. Which was almost funny, because KID was sure Tantei-kun was what Tantei-san was mainly looking for. Before he could get started the rant KID could see coming, he held a finger up to his mouth, shushing him. “Don’t wake him,” he whispered.
To his delight, Tantei-san matched his volume. Though he was still glared at. Which was fully unfair, because Tantei-san knew he didn’t kidnap. Except for the first time Tantei-kun slept over, but that hadn’t exactly crossed his mind then. “Why not?”
KID looked toward the room before he leaned toward Tantei-san with a conspiratorial look. “He’s scary when you wake him.” It was true , but he couldn’t dismiss the opportunity to mess with him. Not when it was so easy.
Tantei-san paused, head tilted, and simply looked at him for several seconds. Like he could parse out some hidden meaning. Unfortunately, there was none. (Oh how KID wish there was.) “He’s seven.”
Seventeen , KID’s mind corrected. And boy did it show sometimes. In the worst ways. Outloud, KID said, “Last time I woke him he threatened to chop me up and spread me in the Thames.”
Tantei-san blinked. “… We’re in Japan. The Thames is in England.”
“ I KNOW !!” KID screeched as much as he could without waking his scary chibi detective.
Tantei-san frowned and looked over to the bedroom door. “Why is he sleeping here?”
KID sighed. “Apparently it’s the quietest place.”
“It’s. The quietest place.”
“So I’ve been told.”
“I wasn’t aware any place with you could be quiet.”
“You wound me, Tantei-san. I’ll have you know I’m great at espionage.”
Tantei-san did not reply. Instead he sat on the couch, grabbed a Sherlock Holmes book (where did that even come from), and settled in to wait. For a moment KID just glared at him. It was fruitless, of course. No matter how long he looked, Hakuba-bastard wouldn’t just disappear. Not for the first time, he kinda wished he had real magic. Though he wouldn’t ever say it outloud. His own personal brand of magic was much for fun, anyhow. Plus probably more reliable. He was likely just worried about Tantei-kun, anyhow. KID could respect that.
For someone who had the worst sleep schedule he’d ever seen (yes, KID saw the irony in that statement and yes, KID was also concerned. how little sleep did he actually get away with when he was normal-sized), Tantei-kun was surprisingly scheduled. Though, KID guessed ‘scheduled’ was more ‘dangerously caffeine dependant’. He put aside the deck of cards he’d been playing with and got up to start Tantei-kun’s coffee. Which was, as he’s learned, the easiest way to get the detective up. Tantei-san looked at him curiously from the top of the book.
It wasn’t till the coffee was finished brewing that it drew Tantei-kun from his room. If this was a cartoon, KID imagined Tantei-kun would be floating after a scent trail with his nose in the air. The image almost made him laugh every time. Thankfully, Tantei-kun was still groggy enough he could allow himself a small smile. Tantei-kun pulled himself up to the table, gratefully sipping at the mug KID put in front of him almost the second it was set down. An amused noise escaped KID and he turned to grab his own hot chocolate. When he turned back, Tantei-san was standing awkwardly at the table, unnoticed by Tantei-kun. The level of his favourite detective’s awareness would be concerning anywhere else.
“… Can I get a coffee, too?”
KID ignored him, sitting in front of Tantei-kun without a word, though he didn’t stop Tantei-san from heading over to grab a mug with an eyeroll. The only detective he would make coffee for was Tantei-kun. And occasionally Nakamori-keibu, but that was only when he was at his house in the morning. About half a cup in, Tantei-kun finally squinted at the other person drinking coffee at the table. He turned to KID. “Why is Hakuba here?”
“He was worried about you.” KID shrugged.
To his amusement, Tantei-kun snorted. “Unnecessary.”
“That’s what I told him,” KID said. He shrugged and hid a smile into his mug when Tantei-san made an indignant noise.
“I think it’s perfectly fine worrying about Conan-kun disappearing to end up in the safe house of a criminal,” Tantei-san defended himself.
“How’d you even know I was here? Or that I occasionally ‘disappear’. We don’t exactly cross paths often.” Conan had his chin between his fingers like he did when he was thinking and KID was pretty sure this was the most awake he’s seen him before his second cup.
“I ran into a crime scene that was wrapping up and noticed him stumble off. Given that he looked half dead on his feet I followed him here, after a bit of trouble.” Hakuba raised an eyebrow. “This happens often?”
The question was swiftly overshadowed as KID turned eyes on an embarrassed looking Tantei-kun. “You did what?”
“It was just three days,” Tantei-kun huffed.
“How many hours?” KID leaned closer over the table. The answer was mumbled. “How many?”
“Six! Fuck, what are you, my mother?” Tantei-kun complained. KID didn’t dignify that with an answer. Because, if he had to be to keep his favourite detective safe, the answer was yes and he didn’t want to say it out loud. Especially in front of Hakuba-bastard who was currently staring at them both like they’d grown a couple extra heads and perhaps some new eyes. “Why’s it matter?”
“Two heists ago, you passed out, Mouri-chan upset because you disappeared for half a day, ring any bells?” KID leaned back in his seat, feeling as annoyed as Tantei-kun looked. “How does she even let you get away with this?” He knew she was a good caretaker.
“If you must know, she doesn’t know,” Tantei-kun grumbled, also leaning back in his seat with his arms crossed.
“I thought you were getting more sleep,” KID said.
“I had a long case and I can’t exactly always sleep here,” Tantei-kun countered.
KID scrubbed a hand down his face, glad he’d started going with a simple disguise instead of the monocle. It made the action easier. “At your house, Tantei-kun?”
Tantei-kun shrugged. “It’s quieter here.”
KID gave Tantei-san a pointed look. A ‘see, I told you’. (At some point, Tantei-san had started to look like he’d sucked on a lemon. Even KID’s jeering look didn’t change that. Oh, he loved to confuse Tantei-san. Though annoying him was still definitely his favourite.) He didn’t complain about Tantei-kun’s words, though. That had been given up the third time Tantei-kun snuck in. It wasn’t like his detective would listen to him, after all. And he was rather adorable, curled up in his bed under the KID sheets he’d changed them to a week back as a joke. Of course, the lack of dark circles played a part in the lack of true complaints too. More sleep also meant a safer Tantei-kun. From what KID had seen, Tantei-kun needed all the bonus safety he could get.
“You need more sleep.”
“And I’m getting it you hypocrite,” Tantei-kun said then slid his mug across the table with a purpose. KID sighed and shook his head, but made a second mug for him. When Tantei-kun left, he took Tantei-san with him. Tantei-san who did not return again. Unlike his favourite (and sleep-deprived) detective.
It had been four weeks (and one heist) since the Black Organization was taken down. Edogawa Conan had returned to Kudo Shinichi. And KID’s search for Pandora became a touch easier, now that his special guests were in jail. So of course that meant the alarm on his safe house would go off. That safe house. Tantei-kun’s safe house. Kaito scrubbed a hand over his face and decided ‘fuck it’, it was honestly about time anyway, and donned the KID gear to confront his detective.
When Kaito got to the safe house and confirmed it truly was Tantei-kun, he dug (quietly) in a drawer for an outfit to replace his suit. Sans any form of disguise. If he was to meet Shinichi for the first time, it only felt right to be similarly unmasked. He glanced to the bed as he pulled out a hoodie. Just like every other time this month, Tantei-kun was curled under the sheet. The pillow was clutched close to his body. Soft snores came from him and Kaito smiled. Even big his favourite detective was still adorable. A quick change in the living room and a handful of other things from other drawers (where nosy detectives won’t find them) and he was settled in to wait a few hours as Tantei-kun took his nap. It was an odd situation for him, at first. Tinkering with tricks for his next heist with one of the very detectives who tried to catch him in the next room. But just like donning the KID suit, it eventually felt normal. Comfortable, like he was made to be there. Like they were made to be there. (Months ago, he would’ve no doubt snorted at the thought.)
Seeing a ruffled Shinichi stumble out of his room, following the smell of coffee and rubbing at his eyes, was an odd form of dejavu. He’d been here many times. Watched Tantei-kun wander out of his room and plop down on a kitchen chair. Reach for his coffee with absolutely no words. Just a pleased hum as he took his first sip. The only difference now is Shinichi’s size. It was nice having that little confirmation that here, Shinichi had always been Shinichi . Kaito knew Shinichi needed that. And warmth filled his chest to know he’d been what his detective had needed. After all, it worked the other way around too. Because even with the disguises, Kaito had been more fully himself during their little moments than with anyone else outside Jii and Kaasan.
Halfway through the mug more awareness was blinked into Shinichi’s eyes. Kaito could see the questions forming behind sapphire. The detective had seen him close to him often enough and was smart enough, Kaito was sure his brain was already connecting that he’d gone without a disguise. He let his detective be and simply continued to sip his hot chocolate. Though he did hope Shinichi wasn’t so obvious with his perp-staring when he was actually awake. Both for the detective’s safety and as a criminal himself. The thought of others not noticing his obvious stare was just embarrassing. Vaguely (and with much more grace) he watched as Shinichi looked him up and down. Eyes lingered on different sections. The messiness of his hair. His eyes. Apparently his cheeks and the cut of his jaw. Eventually Kaito had to look away, the embarrassment creeping to something more than just secondhand. How much was already memorized- being compared to what was on display now- and how much was being memorized? There was no way of knowing. Kaito certainly wouldn’t ask.
After his second mug, Shinichi still didn’t ask about his appearance. Patiently, Kaito took the mug and refilled it. It would come eventually. Except Shinichi still didn’t ask. Even as he handed it back it went unasked. Though Kaito knew it was there. It dawned on him suddenly, as Shinichi took the mug and their fingers brushed, that Shinichi wouldn’t ask. Kaito decided to answer anyway. “This isn’t a disguise, it’s my true face. I figured since I was meeting yours it’d only be fair.”
Shinichi frowned at him gently behind the mug. “You didn’t have to.”
“I know.” Kaito shrugged. “I wanted to. Though I must admit, I thought after you got your body back this would stop.” He was only half joking. It'd… been somewhat of a worry for him. That they’d lose these moments of domesticity. Especially after Shinichi missed his last heist. A distraction for a child. An unneeded haven, now that he could be his true age again. He thought again, of the dejavu earlier and Shinichi’s searching eyes. How Shinichi didn’t pry and didn’t ask about the lack of disguise despite clearly wanting to know. It was all more reassuring than Kaito was perhaps ready for.
“This doesn't… bother you, does it?” Shinichi shifted awkwardly in his seat, fingers playing with the mug.
“That didn’t seem to concern you before.” Kaito smirked.
“KID,” Shinichi said flatly. His eyes were serious.
“Kaito. And so long as you don’t threaten to kill me and dump my body in a whole other country again, no.”
Shinichi looked away, a tinge of embarrassed pink on his cheeks, and Kaito seriously had to fight the urge to laugh.
“Though, you could always sleep at my house instead of breaking in,” Shinichi’s eyebrows raised at that. It took a moment for the secondary meaning to dawn on him. “Completely innocently, Meitantei, cross my heart.” For added effect, Kaito drew an ‘x’ over his left breast.
“You know the heart isn’t actually located there.”
“Semantics.” Kaito shrugged.
“… I think I’d like that,” Shinichi said quietly, after a moment.
“Hm?” Kaito hummed around the lip of his mug, eyes turned once more to Shinichi.
“Sleeping at your house. I think I’d like that,” Shinichi clarified, a light dusting of pink on his cheeks but that confidence Kaito loved shining through everything else.
“So would I, Meitantei.” Kaito smiled at him. Soft and genuine. “So would I.”
Maybe this time, he could even get his own nap, curled up with his favourite detective.
It’s been a long time since I wrote anything, practically a year and 2020 was awful and 2021 didn’t start off well either because of a relative’s death. But anyway, I hope you guys like what I’ve written.
If you wanna support me, I would be highly grateful. My paypal is: paypal.me/filterish
It was truly horrible that Ran was dealt such a awful card in her life. An alcoholic father, a workaholic mother and an innate disposition of wanting to please people whom she loved.
She could have lived with the first two cards but it was the third one that made her life difficult. Wanting to do the best she could at academics so she could get praised by her absent parents, wanting to have friends so that she could answer her mother’s questions about her friendships with conviction, wanting to work so that she could take care of the monetary burdens… wants, wants, wants.
To be honest, all she wanted was peace. To not be involved in her separated yet together parents’ tumultuous relationship. Sometimes thinking about her family made her chest hurt and throat tickle. She loved her mother and she loved her father. But she didn’t love them together. And when she came to realize that at the age of twenty, she finally let go.
She had worried and schemed to get her parents back together practically her whole life but now, she knew that if they didn’t want to be together, all her efforts would be in vain. So, at the age of twenty, with a heavy heart, she decided to let her family go. She stopped calling her mother to fix a date with her father, she stopped pestering her father about giving a fuck about her mother. And then came the realization that she was lonely. So lonely that her heart ached.
She hadn’t managed to make friends, life long friends people would go on about, because she was focused on bettering herself so that her parents would praise her. On the flip side, she had gotten into one of the best universities in Tokyo and was studying her desired subject about Medicine. Most days she could live with the pay off. Having a stable career would help in surviving alone a lot.
People in her class would invite her to hang out and she would say yes, just to sit there and observe them. For some reason, the buzzing chatter of her classmates soothed her a lot. They would gossip or discuss about classes or professors and Ran would sit there with a slight smile on her face and her heart feeling lighter. She craved companionship.
With that thought in her mind, she decided to open up with her college classmates. She knew the names of the people in her class, thankfully and so, with a cheery smile she used to plaster on at her high school, she slid into the conversation about the college’s professors.
“… And Tsukiyama-sensei gives us so maaaany diagrams to draw,” Hayami-san was whining, “I have a part time job to do and then that teacher’s homework… I don’t get the time to unwind at all.”
“He does push us a lot,” Ran said and noticed the sort of surprised looks of her three classmates, though they quickly covered it up.
“You find it hard too, huh, Ran-san?” Sonoko-san said, “With your grades, I thought it would be easy for you to catch up.”
Ran quickly grabbed the opportunity to continue the conversation, thankful that the atmosphere didn’t turn awkward at her sudden interruption, “Ah, well, I don’t actually have a lot to do, you know? Mostly studies and a part time job as an assistant at a detective agency.”
“Detective agency?!” The three of them exclaimed and faced Ran fully.
Her smile grew sheepish as she said, “Ahhhh, but, nothing interesting happens when I’m there. Usually, I just have to compile all the data and file them.”
“But, still! You must have found something interesting there!” Aoko-san said, with her eyes shining with excitement, “A case? Or a person? Have you ever helped the detective, Ran-san?”
Ran shook her head no, “I’m not allowed to work on the cases, Aoko-san. As a matter of fact, I’ve not even seen the detective yet, I usually work in the evening, after my classes are done.”
Hearing that, the three of them looked concerned and Hayami-san spoke, “Ran-san, are you sure that’s safe? I mean,” she shared a look full of concern with Sonoko-san and Aoko-san, “you have never seen whom you work with, right? What if it’s some super shady guy?”
Ran chuckled a bit and said, “It’s okay, Hayami-san. I’m trained in karate. Plus, the agency I work at is super reputed. It’s just that the guy whom I’m assigned to is very, very busy and even other employees have said that it’s rare to see him in the office. He works at very odd hours.”
That did nothing to alleviate their concern and Ran felt a bit touched. This was the first time she was having a proper conversation with them and the four of them were practically strangers yet Hayami-san, Sonoko-san and Aoko-san were so concerned about her well being.
Aoko-san was apprehensive and she murmured, “If you say so, Ran-san,” and then in a more chipper tone asked, “Which agency do you work at?”
“Kudo Detective Agency.” Ran replied.
Hearing that, the three of them were even more animated in their response, “THE Kudo Detective Agency?” Aoko-san gasped in disbelief.
“Wait, the famous ex-policeman one?!” Sonoko-san exclaimed.
“The one that has this hot, handsome guy working there?” Hayami-san said.
All of them turned to look at Hayami-san and she shrugged sheepishly, “What? Everybody knows that there is this rumored handsome guy who works there and is seen like once in every millennia,” she said sarcastically.
Sonoko-san swatted her friend and Aoko-san clicked her tongue, waving her comment away and turned her attention back to Ran, “You really work at Kudo Detective Agency, Ran-san? Oh, wow. It houses the best of the best detectives.”
Sonoko-san nodded and said, “Damn, you must have impressed the Kudo husband and wife duo a lot. Seeing that they have such a strict policy and criteria to employ people.”
And with that, the three of them were off chattering about the elusive Kudos. Ran chipped in whenever she could but mostly listened while they were talking. She didn’t have the heart to tell them that only reason she works there is to spite her father in an act of rebellion.
The Kudous were not the reason her father was a piss poor detective but she had spent her teenagers listening to him whine about how Kudo Yuusaku was responsible for the lack of cases in Mouri Detective Agency. And at that time, Ran did what she could to help him, guide her high school classmates in need, put up posters, advertise in newspapers… she did what she could but her father was too prideful to take small cases and too incompetent to work properly on big ones. And by then, the ex-policeman Yuusaku and ex-actress-turned-housewife had established a proper detective agency housing some of the brightest, youngest detectives.
When she cut ties with her family, she decided to do what she wanted. And so, she offered her services to the Kudous. She knew she could be an excellent assistant and she proved herself by working for a week under Yuusaku Kudo herself. From organization to appointments to little treats or snacks for the clients… she did what she could have been doing for her father.
And by the time the week had ended, she was employed with a good salary. She thought that working there would hinder her Medicine study course but the detective whom she was assigned to had a set of orders ready when she entered his office.
She was surprised at first because no one was there to greet her on her first day, just a piece of paper telling her not to come during day time and that her work was to organize the papers that were kept on the table. Sure, there were scribbled notes scattered everywhere on the table but a quick glance clued her in that those were case notes. Case notes of multiple cases, to be exact.
She found it extremely odd that the detective whom she was supposed to assist had never shown himself. All she knew was that his name was Kudou Shinichi, Kudou Yuusaku and Yukiko’s son, and was an excellent detective. He had grown up in the States and had come back at the age of twenty with plethora of experience under his belt.
Ran chalked up never seeing him to some weird quirk of his. Truthfully, she liked working there. The Kudou couple treated her kindly, the assistants of other detectives were warm and welcoming, even the other detectives greeted her and indulged in small talk. The work wasn’t difficult, the pay was excellent, the timing fit her college schedule perfectly; everything was great except for never having seen her superior’s face.
Ran sighed as she brought herself back to present. Aoko-san was talking about the lab work they had just finished and Ran smiled lightly. Having friends like them would be nice, she thought. And swore to herself that she would make the effort to know them better.
That day, she felt very calm as she entered her office. The Kudo Shinichi plaque at the door greeted her and she opened it, mentally gearing herself up for the stack of papers that was bound to be there, only to be greeted by a man, who was shuffling through them.
“Umm… hello?” Ran asked hesitantly, not wanting to jump to conclusions about who this man was.
The man faced her and smiled a bright smile, which left Ran disarmed. “Hello, you must be Mouri Ran-san?” he asked.
Ran felt a little discombobulated, she hadn’t anticipated someone being inside the office. “Uhh… yes, I am. And you are…?” she didn’t want to presume who he was but she had a little inkling of whom he could be.
“Ah, sorry for introducing myself late,” and he walked up to her and held his hand up for a greeting, “My name is Kudou Shinichi… and ahh, I’m supposed to be working here,” he said in a playful tone with a smirk that showed a dimple on his left cheek.
The only thought that crossed her mind at that moment was what Hayami-san had said a few hours before. He really was a gorgeous man.
A Shinigami, that’s how he was known in Japan. Elsewhere he was named differently, his name varied from culture to culture, from country to country, from religion to religion. But what he did, what he was remained constant throughout the centuries.
The God of Death.
When he was created and promptly assigned his role, he had been excited. To be assigned such an important role, the opportunity to help humans’ souls to safely pass on to the other realm was a humbling job. And at first, it was. He would stay by their side when they were dying, listen to their stories and little anecdotes about their life and make their ending moments a little bit more bearable. He would sob along with the family members when their soul would depart, feeling as if he had lost someone dear to him as well.
It soon became his noose. It crushed him whenever he had to take a child soul. Their stories would be so innocent and filled with hope. To take these young souls, it ripped his heart out. And slowly, over the centuries, his heart hardened. Because he did such an amazing job of helping humans in their end moments, he was assigned helpers to make his job less burdensome. The world’s population was increasing after all. A single God of Death couldn’t possibly keep up with the genocide, the murders, the accidental deaths, the suicides, so he was given help. And slowly, he started to withdraw himself from the human world.
Yes, they were lovely and yes, they were ugly, too. But that’s what made humans, humans. A person could be the best version of themselves in front of a set of people but a literal nightmare to another set of people. Humans backstabbed, cheated, lied their way through life. But they also created bonds and loved with their whole heart. They were a conundrum, a plethora of emotions swirled in them, none of them remaining constant.
To the God of Death, humans were precious and that was the reason why he couldn’t do his job properly. If he treated them as someone dear to him, once they were gone, they would leave their mark on him and for a God to be impressionable, that was most unheard of. And a God without a job couldn’t exist, so for his survival, he hardened his heart.
The long stories he would patiently listen to were cut off by curt words, the smile that would grace their face when they would see him were now replaced with grimaces. The completeness now replaced with fear. And he thought to himself, yes, this is good, as his chest caved in with pain.
His current location was Japan and for the first time in his existence, it wasn’t due to somebody’s death but due to his job being in peril.
Two humans had somehow found the key to immortality. He wanted to roll his eyes. Humans and their fascination with staying alive. Well, they couldn’t possibly be aware what damage a long life caused to their souls, so he supposed their attempts to conquering nature were… appreciable. As an entity which couldn’t be extinguished, he wouldn’t recommend it though. But to each their own.
And so, he walked across the doors of Miyano Pharmacy. He knew that the humans wouldn’t be able to recognize if he came in as a celestial being, so he was confident in his stealth. He ruffled through the papers kept on the desk, surveying the lab and he was impressed. These humans had worked hard to defeat him. Seeing a photo frame beside the computer, he picked it up, curious to see who these humans were when the door knob turned.
He didn’t pay it any attention, no alive human could see him. There was no way he would be found but when a gasp resonated, he turned around, only to meet the eyes of one of the humans who was in the photo.
“Who- who are you?” The woman asked, taking on a defensive stance.
He was stunned. He could hear the woman breathe. He could hear her heart beat but then how could she see him?
The woman’s tone grew angry as she asked again, “I asked- who are you? Hurry up or I’ll call the police.”
He cleared his throat, caught off guard and said, “I’m Shini- Shinichi,” and he struggled to smile as he had seen humans do when they wanted to appear non-threatening.
The woman looked confused though, probably trying to place if she knew someone named Shinichi. Too bad she would come up empty. Before she could say anything, he hurried to spin a lie, “I’m here because your father wanted me to look at your recent… invention.”
The woman searched his eyes and he tried to make himself look as innocent as possible. He wasn’t lying completely though, he was there to look at the invention. He just didn’t intend for the said invention to exist once he was done being there in the lab.
He was curious about the woman who could see him though and he asked before he could stop himself, “I’m sorry but I can’t seem to remember your name. I’m not good with them.”
The woman still looked cautious but his act must have been convincing because she said, “I’m Ran,” but then didn’t offer up any more information.
He smiled at her, a genuine one, trying his best to put her on ease. He hadn’t tried to accommodate a human for centuries but he remembered that humans valued sincerity and so he tried his best to unarm his arch nemesis.
“Hello, Ran, it’s nice to see you. I am-” and he was abruptly cut off.
“Raaaan, have you see my coffee cup. I can’t find it,” a girl’s voice came as she entered the room.
Ran turned slightly to answer, “Sorry, Shiho, haven’t seen it,” and then turned back to face him. The brown haired woman, Shiho, walked in, trying to find her cup and this was when Shinichi knew his cover was blown. Because this woman, this Shiho couldn’t see him.
“Hey, Shiho, aren’t you gonna greet our guest?” Ran asked, slightly confused at Shiho’s impoliteness. The man was standing in the middle of the room. Why was Shiho pretending not to see him?
Shiho tried to peer behind the row of books as she answered, “What guest, Ran?”
And Shinichi grew nervous.
Ran’s brows furrowed as she stared at Shiho’s back, had the two of them really slept so little that they had started to get hallucinations? “The one who’s wearing all black. Looks like he’s in his early thirties. He says his name is Shinichi.”
A book fell down on the floor as Shiho tried to locate her coffee cup but started to face the room so she could see what Ran was talking about. Shinichi knew he had to escape while Ran’s attention was on Shiho. This Shiho couldn’t see him but that Ran could. She could mess up his plans and so he opened a little portal he could escape through before Shiho fully turned around.
Finding no one, she said, “Ran, there’s no one,” and then started her quest again, mumbling about how things could get misplaced and god, they needed to buy more coffee cups.
Ran faced the room again and was stunned into silence. The man had disappeared.
“What, why?” Ran was confused why she had to kiss him. The situation didn’t warrant for a make out at all.
“It’s the only way.” Shinichi answered gravely. And for a minute, Ran was on alert. Had she missed something? Had the people they were tailing somehow spotted them out?
And so she stepped closer in front of him, just in caution and asked under her breath, “The only way for what?”
“It’s the only way,” he answered back with a serious glint in his eye, his jaw clenched. And for a second, Ran’s head was full of thoughts about how hot her boyfriend looked. She shook her distracting thoughts off, surreptitiously glanced around and stepped further closer to him.
“The only way for what, Shinichi?” She asked again when they were almost chest to chest and Shinichi still had that grave look on his face.
Slowly, his arm circled her waist and he bent down to reach Ran’s eyes. She instinctively looped her arms behind his neck, waiting for an answer while looking around the street in order to find out who had found them.
She got distracted when she felt warm breath on her lips and she turned her head to see Shinichi looking at her dead in the eye. She gulped. Something must have seriously gone wrong for him to look like that.
“Just kiss me, Ran.”
And so she did. The instant Ran’s lips touched his, Shinichi spurred into action, pushing her against the brick wall in the alley and Ran let her hands curl in his hair. His tongue brushed against her bottom lip and Ran groaned at the unexpected action but opened her mouth. Once his tongue came in contact with hers, she lost all thought of someone finding them out and just gave in fully. She titled her head for better access, all the while Shinichi’s hand snaked up along the nape of her neck. He held the back of her neck with a single hand while Ran tugged on his hair.
Shinichi let out a guttural moan and pushed Ran even further into the wall, their lips breaking off to catch some much needed breath. She let her head fall back and Shinichi took this opportunity to glide his lips along the side of her neck.
The much needed oxygen helped to clear her head a little and she asked breathlessly, “That kiss was the only way for what?”
Shinichi hummed a little, his lips a little too busy with the skin on her collarbone.
“Shinichi?”
Somehow he managed to pull himself a little before giving her a wide, unapologetic, satisfied grin, “Ordering you while we are working was the only way I could get you to kiss me in public.”
I would like to thank @detectivegeekshin for the wonderful, wonderful dialogue and headcanoning with me
Ran nodded eagerly, her eyes twinkling with mischief, “Yes, a fake husband.”
Shinichi slowly sipped his coffee, reminding him that no, he wasn’t drunk and what he was hearing was in fact, correct. “A fake husband?”
Ran’s enthusiasm didn’t wane as she exclaimed, “Yes, a fake husband.”
Somewhere in the back of his mind, he was well aware that they had been repeating themselves for the past minute but for the love of god, he couldn’t compute the information he was being provided with and in a courageous attempt, tried to actually process what Ran was saying.
It took him some time, if he was being honest. He didn’t like that fact. But then again, who else other than Ran was capable of reducing his brain to mush?
“You want me to be your fake husband?”
“Yes.”
“… Why?”
“You know how my parents have been overseas this whole time?”
“Yeah, ten years.”
“Recently, they’ve been on my case about ohh, nooo, Ran, you’re twenty-five. You’re still not married. Your medical career is not going to keep you away from loneliness when you grow old. Why don’t you find a good man for marriage? Maybe I should help you out.” Ran rolled her eyes as she recalled what her mother had said to her on their video call, “Soooo, I thought, hey, what if I told them I was already married?”
“So you wanted to send them early to their grave. What a good daughter you are.” Shinichi said as he stabbed the omelette.
Ran pouted at him and Shinichi rolled his eyes, very well aware that Ran and her parents had what he liked to call a give-them-a-heart-attack-love relationship.
“Oh, please. If changing my career choice in my last semester didn’t make them keel over, nothing ever will.” She said nonchalantly as she poured herself a glass of black coffee. Shinichi made a disgusted face at the quantity and Ran gleefully smiled at him, aware that he found her drinking habits appalling.
“Sooo, be my fake husband, please?” she pleaded.
“No.”
“Awwww, you’re such a bad sport.”
“Thank you.”
“Wasn’t a compliment.”
“I don’t want a compliment from you. It’s the scariest thing ever.”
Ran sniffed, “Waaaow, so rude.”
Shinichi smirked, “I aim to please.”
“You being my fake husband would be most pleasing to me,” she said as she sipped her coffee, her eyes over the rim of the glass.
Shinichi sighed, “Why me? You know you have an endless line of admirers who would jump on this proposal.”
Ran put away her coffee and answered, “Because I love you.”
Shinichi could have sworn his heart leapt out of his chest when he heard her. He chuckled nervously at the serious look on Ran’s face, trying very hard not to let her words swarm into his brain and heart. She didn’t meant it that way. She was never supposed to mean it that way. They had been childhood friends since they were four. There was no way he would see Ran in a romantic light. She meant much more to him than a fickle love. She was like a sister he never had. His number one supporter in everything, his go-to person. There was no way she would blur the lines knowing how he felt about romances. How much he loathed them and the horrible relationship his parents had. And how much he was turned off from the prospect of romantic love, in general. There was no way Ran would force him into a corner like that, knowing how much he despised romantic love, so he deflected.
“Ha ha, you know I love ya, too, but c’mon Ran, a fake husband, isn’t that too much?” he swallowed at the serious look on her face.
And as Ran gave him a sad smile, he knew she got the message. Shinichi had never felt this horrible, seeing that sad and accepting look on her face and blurted out before he could stop himself, “For how long will I have to be your fake husband?”
Ran tried to put up an excited front now that he had agreed but Shinichi could see it through. She meant it when she said that she loved him but Shinichi also meant it when he said that he loved her.
He loved her too much for her to end up like his mother.
It may have taken me years (because I hate digital), but don’t think I don’t know it took you longer (because you have a love hate relationship with writing) @8ddict
Though that doesn’t change my opinion of this masterpiece, and from this scene alone it should prove that the crack ain’t stopping. So please, I beg all who love comedy and good times and feelings and everything in between P L E a S e check out Check and mate on Ao3—link down below
I want them to go shopping as bros. Just two bros shopping in a mall. In Singapore. Cuz international thief Kaitou KID decided a suit case was a good place for world renouned detective Kudou Shinichi aka Edogawa Conan aka Arthur Hirai and I want to die.
thank you for 10 years of Shadow Chase! You guys are amazing, I appreciate every reader, every comment and every kind of support I was given throughout the way! let’s hope it won’t take me another 10 years to finish. XD I wish I could have made something special to celebrate but uni is super busy, I had a practical exam just yesterday and new study material just keeps coming in. However, I’ll post some fun facts on tumblr later so maybe you’ll enjoy those. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to host a stream today, we’ll see.
I was thinking about maybe having bookmarks or postcards printed for the occasion and those who are interested could get some, you’d need to pay for your shipping though. Anyone interested?
