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war-of-the-words · 3 years

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A December Night

A very merry Christmas and happy holidays to my @dcmkkaishinevents giftee, Clef! I sincerely hope this gift makes you smile! -Two

Kaito hated wearing heels. They weren’t any problem for him now, he could wear them for hours if he had to, but that doesn’t mean he enjoyed them. And when you’re disguised as an attractive young woman at a private auction for high-priced items, heels were practically mandatory. Plus, heels made his legs look fantastic.

He hadn’t sent an advance notice this time. He just wanted it to be a quick in and out kind of deal. The majority of this decision was because Nakamori finally got time off and he promised Aoko that he would spend the day holiday shopping together. Aoko had been so excited to hear it, and Kaito thought that they both deserved some father-daughter time.

Unfortunately, that meant that Kaito had to spend more time than he liked weaseling an invitation for his disguise from the organizers. It never ceased to amaze him how sleazy “high class” people could be. But he was there now, circling the buffet table like a shark and eating his fill of the pretentious mini desserts.

“Excuse me?” a voice said from behind him. An incredibly familiar voice that made Kaito’s blood run cold.

“Hm?” he hummed, turning around and giving the intruder a warm smile. The face wasn’t one he wanted to see. Kudou Shinichi stood there, looking incredibly handsome in a fitted charcoal suit, a smile on his face. Kaito hated how he couldn’t help but notice the way one side of his lip always pulled a little higher than the other.

“I’ve been looking everywhere for you babe.” What did he just say?

“Um, I think you’ve-” Kudou tilted his head ever so slightly, a sharp look in his eyes. Kaito slid his gaze to where Kudou indicated and noticed one of the more sleazy organizers orbiting a little too close for comfort. It clicked, Kudou had seen a woman in potential danger and stepped in like a knight in shining armor. “-got the wrong idea about why we came here, dear. The jewelry is great and all, but you know I can’t resist a good dessert table!” Kudou laughed, it made Kaito’s heart do backflips. Why, of all the people that could materialize at a secret KID heist it had to be him.

“How did you think I knew to find you here?” Kaito was about to respond, but the organizer finally decided to make his move.

“Miss Yamagi!” He said, walking over from where he was not so subtly eavesdropping. “I didn’t know you knew Kudou Shinichi!” His smile didn’t quite reach his eyes, he thought he was catching Kaito in a lie here, whether for leverage to get Kaito alone or to make a fool of him like the rich often like to do.

“Of course I do.” Kaito said, pushing as much honey into his voice as possible. He ran a hand through his long blonde wig. Yamagi was an aspiring model after all, a good cover for being taller than average, and a wonderful opportunity to use one of his favorite wigs, but she was best for winning over unruly men. Kaito watched the way the organizer followed Kaito’s hand as he played with his hair, winding the soft locks around his finger. How easy this would be. “We’ve been seeing one another for a while now, but its a secret.” Kaito pushed out his bottom lip into an adorable pout.

“Her modeling career hasn’t taken off yet, and my darling refuses any help from my family. She’s determined to get there on her own terms; that’s why she insisted on getting her own invitation to this event instead of being my plus one.” Kudou said, moving closer to Kaito’s side and smoothly wrapping his arm around Kaito. Kaito didn’t want to think about how easy it was to lean into Kudou’s side.

“Is- is that so?” The organizer looked like he was trying very hard to refrain from mentioning the PDA. “Well, be careful that the press here doesn’t see you.”

“We will,” Kudou said with a cold smile, letting the organizer know his intentions were known, “We’ll just be on our way, excuse us.” And with that Kudou guided Kaito out towards the balcony, which was devoid of people thanks to the chilly weather.

“Thank you,” Kaito said once they were out of earshot of the rest of the guests. He could’ve easel handled it himself, but it was nice to be given help.

“You’re welcome, although I have to admit I had ulterior motives.” Kudou shimmed off his suit jacket and wordlessly placed it around Kaito’s bare shoulders. Suddenly, Kaito was very thankful he had worn a strapless dress.

“Oh, and what might those be?” Kudou probably didn’t know he was KID, he hadn’t even sent a notice so there should be no reason to even suspect that KID would be here.

“I just wanted to know why such a beautiful girl would look so lost.” He gave Kaito another killer smile and Kaito could feel his face flush. This man is criminal.

“I have no idea what you mean.” Kaito averted his gaze out to the clear night sky. The moon wasn’t even half full but the winter night was bright.

“Hm, my hunches usually aren’t wrong.”

“Well, this one was.”

“If you say so.”

Kaito was about to say, ‘I do say so’, but something made him stop. He chanced a glance at Kudou; he was staring at the sky too. His face was soft in the moonlight, the usual tension eased. Kaito never got to see him like this, and he was usually the reason why. He found himself playing with his hair again, he found it soothing. He called Kudou the “Great Detective” for a reason.

“You promise not to tell anyone?” Kaito cringed out how quiet it came out, how obviously nervous.

“Cross my heart.” The words hung in the air for a while, Kaito desperately trying to regain control of the pounding of his heart. It was so loud he was sure that Kudou could hear it.

“I guess I’ve just been overthinking a lot of things lately.” The words felt thick in his mouth, and they fought to stay in his throat. “I know everyone acts differently in front of others, but sometimes I feel like I’m an extreme case.” The irony that Kaito was saying this in a voice that was not his own was not lost on him. “My jobs requires me to be someone else, but all of those people are me in one way or another. So when I’m alone I guess I don’t really know who I am. Which one of those masks are actually my real face, you know?”

“Probably, not to the same extent as you, but yeah, I think I do. You would be amazed out how often.” Kudou let out a low chuckle. Kaito laughed too. It was sweet that Kudou was trying, but he highly doubted Kudou could understand this gnawing feeling Kaito had been trying to ignore for months.

He had been changing faces as KID for so long that when he was “himself” it started to feel like an act too. Especially in front of Aoko. The amount of times he wanted to tell Aoko about his plans for a heist, a trick he was developing for KID, were piling up. Not to mention all the times Aoko dragged him shopping but he found himself shopping for his different personas instead of his best friend. He’s caught her casting suspicious glances at him when he’s spent a little too long looking at clothes Aoko would never wear. But Yamagi would, although at this point that’s the same as saying that Kaito would. His appearance had become completely detached from who he actually was. Even as the faceless Kaitou KID he put on a mask.

“It’s harder when you have no one to lean on.” Kudou interrupted his thoughts. He was still facing forward, eyes to the sky, a soft smile on his lips. “But it’s hard to find someone to lean on when what you feel feels so earth-shattering. No one can carry the weight of the world but Atlas after all.” Kudou turned to look at him, still wearing a smile Kaito never had the privilege of seeing before. He reached out and tucked a loose strand of Kaito’s hair behind his ear, and Kaito shivered but not from the cold. Kudou let his hand linger on Kaito’s cheek, it’s warmth a stark contrast to the night chill. Kaito was sure now that Kudou could feel his racing pulse, and the sound of it nearly made Kaito miss the announcement that the auction was about to begin. It was a chance to escape, to slip away from this dreamlike moment and return to his reality.

“Kudou, I really appreciate what you did for me tonight, but I-”

“Of course, this is an auction after all. But what did you come here for?” Kaito contemplated it, it couldn't hurt to tell him, right? Kudou just thought he was an attractive young model-

He never told Kudou he was a model. He never had a chance, Kudou just said he was a model to the organizer. Did he just guess? He was a detective after all, and considering Yamagi’s height it wouldn’t be that big of a stretch… “A necklace,” Kaito said tentatively.

“I thought so,” Kudou was still so close to Kaito, he could feel the detective’s hot breath on his face as he breathed out a laugh.

“Forgive me if I’m wrong, but this is the first time we’re meeting, isn’t it?” Kaito tilted his head in the way that made most men swoon and gave Kudou a pretty little smile. If Kudou had suspicions he had to dissuade them as quickly as possible.

“Mmm, no. It isn’t.” Kudou’s lip pulled up into that smirk that made Kaito want to simultaneously flee and kiss him senseless. He reached into his pants pocket, and Kaito had to physically fight the urge to run as fast as possible. He did not need to make a scene. Instead, he closed his eyes and tried to steady his breathing. Stupid crush, making him act all stupid. He should have just thanked Kudou as quickly as possible and ran. He hadn’t made any announcements on purpose. And why had Kudou said ‘I thought so?’.

His thoughts were cut short as he felt hands brush the side of his neck and a weight fall onto his chest. Startled, he opened his eyes and took a step back. “What?” Kaito stammered, confused. Glancing down, he saw his target, glimmering in the moonlight. “What?” Kaito said again, searching Kudou’s eyes for answers.

“It really suits you, KID.” And Kaito probably would have run if Kudou’s voice hadn’t been so damn gentle. “I knew it would suit you as soon as I saw it.”

“Okay Meitantei, you’re going to have to break this one down for me.” Kaito said, with his own voice this time. It didn’t seem to faze Kudou.

“I knew it was you as soon as I saw you walk in. Your presence fills the room, KID, even if you don’t mean it too.”

“I think you’re the only person with that problem, Meitantei.”

“I would never call that a problem, KID. But after I saw you, I was sure you were here for something from the auction.”

“But I didn’t send a notice, how did you know I wasn’t just here for fun?”

“And free dessert? Just call it a hunch. And the knowledge that Nakamori was very excited to have some time off to spend with his daughter.” Kaito let out a sigh.

“I hate how much you know about me.”

“No, you don’t.”

“Oh, cocky now, aren’t we? So, what’s the catch, you’ve got me collared,” Kaito gestured at the very expensive piece of jewelry around his neck, “are you going to turn me in?”

“What, I can’t just get you a Christmas present?”

“Seriously? Shinichi, I know what the starting price for this was going to be, and I don’t want to know how much you paid to buy it before it could even be put on sale. This isn’t something you just give to your favorite rival.”

“Hmm, I suppose it isn’t. But rivals also don’t call each other by their first names.”

“I, um, well-”

“Look, KID, I like you. A lot. I’m drawn to you like a moth to a flame. I’ve come to terms with that now, and if the way you’ve reacted to me tonight was anything to go by, I might have a chance.”

“You haven’t been flirting with me all night because you think I’m a hot supermodel?”

“I’ve been flirting with you all night because you’re Kaitou KID. It’s just a bonus that I got to see you looking like a hot supermodel.”

“But that whole thing I said about-”

“I told you, KID, it’s so much easier to share it with someone, and I desperately want to be that someone. You’re not Atlas, and even if you were, I’d carry the world for you.”

“So you don’t care that I’m-”

“KID, you could fill in that blank with anything and my answer would be the same.”

“I’m the magician here,” Kaito laughed, “I’m supposed to be the one to leave you speechless.”

“I might know a way you could shut me up.” And there was that smirk again, but it no longer made him want to run. And so he kissed him senseless, underneath the bright December sky, where it felt like it was only the two of them in the entire world.

#kaishin #ksss20works #player 2 #one shot

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letstrywritingmaybe · 3 years

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I Only Lie When I Love You

Chapter 2: Jealously Jealousy

Rule #2- Only one partner per night

Miraculously the missing child is found unharmed after almost two weeks have passed. The case was followed closely by the entire country given that it was the son of a well known Judge who was kidnapped. Shinichi hasn’t been home since leaving the house Sunday morning, following lead after lead, until finally the case is resolved. Now that it’s over and the fact that it’s Friday night, his focus is on what he did Saturday night. Truth be told, she’s been in the back of his mind the entire time, he feels the need to explain himself. He’s not the kind of guy who would take advantage of being in a temporarily open relationship. He loves his wife, which is why he needs to find Shiho and tell her it was a mistake. As soon as the thought enters his mind he freezes, shouldn’t the first step be to tell Ran? He’s barely seen her over the last few days, only when she pops by to drop off food. His hand hovers over the doorknob of his front door. He should tell her, but would she want to know? She hasn’t asked. He remembers their ground rules, he shouldn’t bring it up until she’s ready to hear it. With that decided, he unlocks the door, she greets him as usual humming a song he doesn’t know. They’re okay, everything is just fine.

???

Everything is not fine, Shinichi is trying his best to be attentive, but she sees how his eyes appear to be searching for someone in the crowd. She forces him to focus back on her every time, but it keeps happening, it’s driving her crazy. She kept hoping he would admit to her he made a mistake and that it would never happen again, but clearly she isn’t going to hear that from him anytime soon. The only option is to go on with her revenge. Ran isn’t a vengeful person, but it’s really not fair he gets to screw around while she stays up all night waiting for him. It’s time to even the playing field, she’s determined to leave with someone tonight. It’s his turn to wait for her.

“Let’s split up for a bit. Meet back here in an hour if it doesn’t go well.”

“Uh, sure.”

Sighing as she gets up from her seat, she glances behind to see his demeanor change. She doesn’t miss the way his hands close into a fist in a bid to calm his jealousy. It shouldn’t make her this happy, but if he’s upset about her continuing this ruse then it means he still loves her. She turns back again to see his hardened stare towards her, she looks around and sees that there indeed is a guy eyeing her. Not normally her type, but he is cute, plus he seems like he would be down to mess around. Perfect, it’s exactly what she needs, she makes her way over to him to chat him up, make sure he really is a good match and not just a creep. Turns out, he’s actually quite charming, a little standoffish, but he seems like a good guy. Apparently she reminds him of an ex-girlfriend, which is why he couldn’t stop looking at her, she gives him a small smile offering her sympathy.

Halfway through their conversation is when she remembers to check back on Shinichi, she spies him at the bar talking to someone she can’t quite see from all the people in the way, but he doesn’t look happy. He might be in trouble, she should go get him before he causes a scene. She swears she only looks away for a second, but the next moment, he’s gone just like last time. Feeling the stranger’s hand on her shoulder, she figures her husband must not want to see another guy touch her. She smiles at him, giving him the okay to continue this somewhere more private.

Admittedly she does feel a little guilty sleeping with someone else, but she’d be lying if she said she didn’t enjoy it. She picked an attentive lover, who was willing to please her. She’s still a bit sore from last night’s activities, but she’s over the moon giddy about having her plan work out so well. She calls out Shinichi’s name when she enters their home, but he isn’t there. She looks through the house, it’s almost noon and he’s nowhere to be found. Did he even come home last night?

???

This time around he isn’t as apprehensive about the idea of coming back to the infamous bar looking for a hookup. The only reason being, he’s sure this is the best chance he has of seeing Shiho again. Not that he’s going to start anything of course, they’re not supposed to choose the same person after all. Even so, he’s not looking to leave with anyone other than his wife. He’s just going to explain himself and then get Ran to leave, that’s it. Except that plan goes out the window when he spots the woman who’s been consuming his thoughts at the bar flirting with another man. He doesn’t even realize his hands are clenched or that he’s glaring at this other guy who’s definitely way too into himself if he thinks she’s going to go home with him. His legs have a mind of their own as he walks over to stand right next to her, ordering a drink to keep up appearances, he’s just here to talk to her that’s all. She ignores him, pretending she didn’t feel his hand accidentally graze her side while he waits for his drink. He frowns, unhappy that she’s brushing him off.

“What’s your name Beautiful?”

“Pft. Real original.”

“Excuse me?”

He wasn’t planning on interjecting himself into their conversation, but he couldn’t help it, especially when the asshole put his hands on her. There’s no way she’s interested in a guy like that right? He’s just doing her a favor. She finally looks over at him, but she does not seem pleased, if anything she looks very much annoyed.

“What do you want Kudo?”

Uh oh, they’re back to last names again, this can’t be good. He struggles to remember exactly why he decided to plant himself firmly next to her while talking back to some guy he doesn’t know. Luckily the stranger leaves after seeing he might have some competition vying for Shiho’s attention, she glares at him.

“You owe me a drink for screwing that up.”

“Really Shiho? That guy.”

“That’s not for you to judge Kudo, don’t you have a wife to go back to? Oh it looks like she’s busy talking to that guy in a beanie.”

“Actually that’s why I’m here…”

“I don’t really care, look we had our fun, it’s time to move on. I’m sure you’ll find someone else that’s willing. That blonde girl over there keeps looking at you, go bother her instead.”

“Wait, where are you going?”

“To find someone worthy of my company, it’s been a long week.”

“Maybe… you don’t have to find someone else.”

“Do you even know what you’re suggesting, Shinichi? Go back home.”

She called him by his first name, that has to mean something. He pulls her back, another impulsive decision, he doesn’t quite know why he can’t let her go. He should take her advice and just leave, it’s called a one night stand for a reason. She removes his hold on her arm daring him to try again. He keeps his hands off her this time, but he repeats his offer.

“You don’t have to find someone else.”

“No thanks.”

“Shiho…”

“You’re not what I’m looking for tonight.”

“What are you looking for?”

“Someone who can follow instructions.”

“You’re not going to find anyone like that here.”

“I’ll try my luck.”

“Shiho.”

“Shinichi. What are you doing?”

What is he doing? He’s gone completely off script. He’s not entirely sure why, but the thought of her finding pleasure with someone else doesn’t sit well with him. He has to convince her to choose him again.

“Leaving with you, I’m the best option.”

“So sure of yourself.”

“I’m just speaking from experience.”

“You still have a lot to learn.”

“Then teach me, I’m a quick learner.”

“I’m not looking for quick, I want someone who can keep up. Someone who’s willing to put my needs first.”

“You mean wants. I’ll let you have control tonight.”

“So generous of you, but I don’t think you can handle it.”

“Try me.”

She narrows her eyes at him, she doesn’t understand what his intentions are. She looks around the room, unfortunately she doesn’t see much talent here tonight, but leaving with him is a bad idea. Facing him again, she sees the determination in his eyes, there’s an intensity in his stare. Much like the first night they met, she’s playing with fire, it's a good thing she’s used to being burned.

“Hm… fine, but if you don’t do everything I say then we’re done and you won’t stop me from looking for someone else.”

“I promise you won’t need to find anyone else.”

“We’ll see.”

He simply smiles while taking her hand to pull out of the bar. He’s going to make sure she will not regret her decision. He’ll prove to her this isn’t a mistake.

???

This woman is going to be the death of him, she’s kept him edge for the past few hours, not allowing him to finish. Every time he comes close, she tells him no, reminding him of their agreement. He has to listen or else she walks. He’s barely even allowed to touch her, at this point she’s just using him to chase her third release of the night. She’s driving him crazy, telling him to stay put when she’s above him, swatting his hand away. This is a form of torture, she’s messing with him, trying to see when he’ll crack. Hopefully she’ll take pity on him soon, he really doesn’t know how much more he can take being baited like this.

“Shiho.”

“Not yet.”

“… I don’t know how much longer I can hold on.”

She stops her movements keeping him still inside of her, a wicked grin on her lips when she shifts adjusting her position. Trailing her finger up his chest, emerald green eyes piercing into his, a slight tilt of her head as she decides what to do with him. He whines when she gets up in favor of leaning closer to him, pressing her bare chest against his, caressing his cheek. There's a hint of tenderness in her voice when she praises him for being so patient with her. She kisses the corner of his mouth, he turns to make contact with her lips molding them together giving him a brief moment of control. She nips at him effectively ending the kiss, an amused gaze in her eyes.

“I don’t believe I gave you permission to kiss me.”

“Shiho, please…”

The same finger she used to trace patterns on his chest now rests on her cheek as she plays innocent. They both know she’s far from it. Pretending she doesn’t have the slightest clue as to what he could be referring to. She’s feeling generous, pleased with his performance thus far. She expected him to fail, certainly set him up for it a few times, but he hasn’t. Perhaps he deserves a reward.

“What do you want Shinichi?”

“I just want you.”

“You have me right now.”

“Not like… I want to touch you.”

A light laughter escapes her throat, she wasn’t expecting that answer. She’s kept him on the brink for so long, she’s surprised he didn’t ask her to let him finish. This must be why she feels drawn to him.

“Is that all you want?”

“No, but it’s a start.”

“What do you plan to do to me?”

“Only one way to find out.”

“Or I could just leave… Shh” a playful smile on her lips while she silences his rebuttal. “Since you’ve been so good to me, I’ll give you permission to take over for a bit.”

Worried she’ll change her mind or tease him longer, he doesn’t hesitate taking control. He flips her over slipping inside in one fluid motion, making her gasp turning into a moan. He kisses her again, hands roaming now that he can freely touch her. Leaving love bites across her skin, marking her as his. It should worry him how possessive he’s acting when they barely know each other, but the sound of his name upon her lips forces his attention on their current entanglement. He isn’t going to last at this rate, but the night is still young, he’s not done with her yet. Not even close.

???

By the time they wake up, it’s way past check out time, she blames him for missing it. He thinks about asking her to extend their stay, but she entices him with the idea of showering together to save time for a late checkout. He couldn’t argue with her logic, besides it’s better for the environment too. Freshly cleaned up from last night and this morning’s activities, they’re ready to start the day. She seems to be in a better mood than yesterday, he couldn’t help pointing it out since he must be the reason for it. She rolls her eyes at him, but doesn’t deny he may have played a part.

“What about you Tantei-san? Did you find the kid?”

“Do you live under a rock? We found him on Friday, it’s all over the news.”

“You expect me to know that was the case you were working on. How would I know that? You didn’t really give me any details.”

Used to being told to stop going on and on about his job, he toned it down for her. No need to get too personal when they don’t know anything about each other. This is a purely physical relationship, or at least it’s supposed to be.

“… I didn’t want to bore you.”

“It’s okay to want to talk about a big case like that. For what it’s worth, I’m glad you found the kid alive. The odds were definitely stacked against him. It’s honestly an anomaly that you didn’t find a body instead.”

“I thought the same thing. We got lucky.”

“It has nothing to do with luck, it just means you did your job right.”

She says it so matter of factly he has no choice but to accept the compliment. He’s surprised she remembered his offhanded comment about his case as they went their separate ways last week, and that she even brought it up. A smile on his face as he replays their last conversation. He’s only a block away from his house now, thoughts still straying to his lover. He should’ve asked what she does for a living, next time, he’ll make sure to ask when they see each other again. He halts his steps, when and next time? What in the world is he thinking?

???

The first thing he notices when he returns home is the obvious hickey on the side of Ran’s neck. She didn’t make any attempts to hide it, so he can assume it was for his benefit. She greets him normally, though she does scold him for being back so late. She has lunch prepared, so they sit together to enjoy it. He thanks her for the meal then excuses himself to the study. Once alone, he takes a deep breath to reevaluate everything. First things first, seeing the mark left by another man on his wife didn’t make him as angry as he thought he would have been. It’s nothing compared to the trails of love bites he left on Shiho’s skin, from her collarbone to her right hip. Reminding him of the sounds she made as he ventured lower until he rested between her legs. He quickly shakes the memories away, this isn’t good. He’s in trouble. Thinking about another woman while his wife is in the next room, he should be ashamed of himself. He should just go out there and confront Ran, ask her what the end goal is here? They’re playing a dangerous game, this isn’t bringing them any closer, if anything it’s pushing them further apart.

He paces back and forth trying to sort out his emotions, he needs to ask himself the same question. What’s his end goal here? Actually there’s multiple questions he needs to ask himself. What happened to the plan last night? He was supposed to defend his character and tell Shiho it was a mistake. How did he end up blinded by jealousy to the point where he makes the same mistake again? Is it even a mistake? Twice in a row isn’t a coincidence, he’s consciously choosing to seek her out even though it’s technically against the rules. Why? Clearly they’re sexually compatible, but is that the only reason? He doesn’t know, interrogating himself is just leading to more questions. To find the answers he needs to ask her, maybe she can come up with an explanation as to why all his morals seem to go out the door when he sees her. He stops his pacing, he doesn’t think rationally around her, how can he expect to ask her to explain why he can’t act level headed around her? The person he needs to talk to is Ran, yes he should go talk to his wife.

???

Hearing the door shut with her husband locking himself inside should make Ran feel more guilty. A part of her does feel bad, but it cannot rival her excitement over how well her plan is working. Sure there’s been a few missteps and she was worried when it seemed like he wasn’t home the whole night. She convinces herself that he must have felt restless waiting for her all night so he decided to go out for a walk. Then seeing his reaction over the mark left behind by her lover made it even better. He was mostly quiet during lunch, a clear sign something is bothering him, then he goes off to his study alone. She almost wonders if she pushed it a little too far, but at least they’re even now. They’ve both slept with other people, and they’re both still here. There’s no point in continuing this temporary opening of their relationship. She’ll wait to tell him they should stop doing this once the mark fades more, she can’t imagine how difficult it must be for him to see it. She’s lucky she didn’t have to since he was stuck at the station working on his case. Speaking of, maybe this will prompt him to pay more attention to her instead of focusing on his work all the time. Things are looking up for them, everything’s exactly the way it should be.

When the door opens again, she’s a bit surprised to see him reappear so quickly. His expression is serious, telling her they need to talk. She wasn’t exactly expecting to have this conversation so soon, he’s right though, better to get it over with so that they can go back to their happily ever after. He takes her hand leading them to the sofa, once seated he keeps their hands joined. He doesn’t meet her eyes at first, but forces himself to, this is important.

“Ran… I don’t even know where to begin…”

“It’s okay Shinichi, I agree.”

“I haven’t even said anything.”

“You don’t have to, you’re right, as usual. We had our fun, it’s time to focus on us now.”

“… meaning?”

The sound of the doorbell ringing loudly in multiple successions breaks their focus. Shinichi drops her hands, knowing this can only mean Sonoko is here. Not wanting to give her the satisfaction that they followed through with her advice, he leaves the house with a half assed excuse about needing to get some milk. A stroll will help clear his head, he’s not acting like himself. He needs a distraction, maybe he’ll swing by the station and see if they need his help with anything.

Also available on ao3 <3

#shinshi #coai #I only lie when I love you aka cynful verse #honey i’m a sucker when you linger series #hi yes I’m ace and have no idea what I’m doing trying to write this fic

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phantomechospics · 4 years

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Twist of Fate

Rating: Teen and Up

Fandom: Detective Conan, Magic Kaito

Relationship: Kudou Shinichi X Kuroba Kaito

Tags: Soulmate AU, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, No Smut, Black Org Takedown, Slow Burn, Happy Ending

Language: English

Word Count: 7348

Extra Notes: For my 100th follower @altumvidetur. This has also been posted on AO3, in case of formatting errors.

“Oi, KID. I found you.”

Kaito stiffened at the call of his moniker. He tried to act as natural as possible when he turned to the steely-eyed child glaring up at him. He held onto his police issue hat, as if to check his disguise was still in place, even though he knew it was. “I’m sorry little one, but I’m not sure who you’re talking to? There are no other children here and, as you can see, I am clearly an adult.”

“Yeah, yeah. And I’m the Queen of England.” The boy, Tantei-kun, gave him a very unimpressed look. “Now, either I can go tell Nakamori-keibu that one of his officers has been replaced with a wolf in sheep’s skin—or, you can hand it over.”

Kaito grimaced at the kid’s ultimatum.

Because it wasn’t a gem or stolen good the kid was asking for. It wasn’t even candy or a cup of coffee, which might also be reasonable. No, it was a small two-ounce container of KID’s special concealer mix. He used it for everything from hiding bruises and marks to blending a fake face with his natural skin tone.

And Tantei-kun had taken to accosting him every few months for a new container. If Kaito didn’t prepare the stuff by hand, he would have been out a fortune in make-up costs.

What use did the little detective have for make-up anyway? He was six, for crying out loud! How did KID end up as his black-market make-up dealer?

Kaito sighed at the thought.

No, he knew how this had happened. Or at least when it had happened.

It was the second heist with little Tantei-kun in the ring. The Suzuki Company had put out a challenge to steal the lady of the company’s jewel. KID, of course, answered the call and took the disguise of Mouri Ran in order to remain close enough to pull off the heist and still get away cleanly.

Not as cleanly as he had hoped, since the boy he now knew as Edogawa Conan, Tantei-kun, managed to corner him before he could make his escape. Instead of calling the inspector on him, though, Tantei-kun had asked him a question.

“What’s that stuff on your wrist?” the boy had asked, a field ball caught beneath his foot.

At the question, Kaito had blinked. He had been surprised the boy had even noticed the thin, dry coating that covered his Mark. After having worn it for years, Kaito had managed to blend the paste seamlessly with his skin. Like there was never a Mark to begin with.

“It’s a special concoction that can conceal any mark. It goes on like make-up and dries to the texture and flexibility of skin. It’s water-resistant and lasts for days, so long as you don’t treat it too roughly.” Kaito had held up his arm, ignoring the panicked rush that came with displaying his Marked wrist so easily.

It didn’t matter that it was concealed. It didn’t matter that it couldn’t be traced back to his civilian self. It didn’t matter that his civilian self had been ‘Markless’ for years by this point. The knowledge of what lay underneath the thin veneer of lies still caused his heart to quicken.

He dutifully kept his face blank of those fears, choosing a taunting smile instead. “I’m surprised you noticed it at all.”

“I’m observant like that,” the boy had said, gaze dark. “Where do you buy it?”

“I don’t.” KID had laughed at the unimpressed look the boy shot him. ��Klepto-urges aside, I didn’t buy this. I made it. None of that commercial stuff could compare.”

The boy had given a contemplative hum, obviously deep in thought. Just as KID had secreted a flash grenade into his hand and plucked his emergency sunglasses from their hiding place, the boy had spoken. “I want some.”

KID had paused in his escape attempt. “… Heh?”

“I want some,” the boy had repeated. “Give me some, or I’ll turn you over to the Inspector.”

“… What if I don’t have any on me?” KID had asked, curious beyond measure.

“Nakamori-Keibu it is,” the kid had said and thrown back his head to call to the searching officers.

“Ah, ah, ah! Wait! Okay, okay!” KID had frantically waved his hands and pulled out a small bottle that he always kept on him. It was supposed to be for emergencies, but bargaining with a six-year-old wasn’t too far out of that territory. Plus, it meant he didn’t have to waste a light grenade. The materials to make those cost far more than the little bottle of concealer did.

The boy had looked all too pleased with the trade-off and let KID go without a complaint. Kaito had thought that would be the end of it, but oh how wrong he’d been.

Every few months since then, the boy would track him down and demand another bottle in return for letting KID escape. Now, it wasn’t to say that KID didn’t like Tantei-kun coming to his heists. He loved showing off to his little critic and making those blue eyes widen in awe at a trick the other had never seen before. It quite honestly made Kaito’s whole month, just to get the boy to smile.

But there were times, like now, where the boy was a bit too serious, saw through KID’s disguises a bit too quickly, that made KID wonder just what the boy needed the concealer for.

Though he would never get a straight answer, it never hurt to ask. “What does a kid like you even need concealer for?”

“Reasons that you don’t need to worry about.” Tantei-kun raised an eyebrow at him. “I can always go find Nakamori-keibu if you refuse.”

“I wasn’t refusing,” Kaito grumbled. “Just stalling.”

“Stalling? Really? And you’re supposed to be good at lying.” Tantei-kun scowled at him. “Now, hand it over. Ran will be looking for me soon.”

“Hold up! You didn’t answer my question.” Kaito crossed his arms with a huff. “What does a kid like you need with professional-grade concealer?”

“It’s none of your business—!”

“It is my business if you go through four bottles in a year.” Kaito frowned at him. “You know those are supposed to last twice the time, right?”

Tantei-kun glared at him. “If you don’t hand it over right now, I’ll-!”

“What? Go tell Nakamori on me?” Kaito let a grin play at his lips despite the stab of fear he felt. “Then who would you get your black-market make-up from? Your Onee-chan certainly won’t get you any, not without the same questions I’m asking.”

By the look on the kid’s face, KID knew he’d caught him. Tantei-kun tried to hold a brave mask, but seconds later, it crumbled. “Please. I need it.”

“Why?” KID repeated. “The only use you have for it is to cover up marks: ink, markers, scars, bruises…”

KID paused at that, his mind suddenly snapping to… horrible repercussions. Kaito often used the concealer to cover injuries left over from KID heists, where Taskforce officers had gotten just a little too close. It wasn’t out of the realm of possibility that Tantei-kun…

“Whatever you’re thinking, you’re wrong,” Tantei-kun hissed, immediately defensive. Which, again, could be indicative of…

“So you’re telling me that you aren’t being abused at home?” KID asked, voice suddenly toneless. “I know Mouri is a ‘great detective’, but that doesn’t mean he’s a good man. And you aren’t related to either him or your precious Onee-chan, that much I’ve gathered. It would be all too easy to—?”

“Mouri may be a drunk, but he’s a useless one.” Tantei-kun rolled his eyes, but his body was relaxed. There was no defense in his posture. He wasn’t even tense. “The worst he’s done was box my ears for running around a crime scene. Then again, he’s the only adult that seems to think a child shouldn’t be around a crime scene, so… I think that evens out.”

KID wasn’t thrilled with the answer, but he was sure Tantei-kun was smart enough to go to the authorities if someone was abusing or neglecting him. Or, at least, KID hoped so. (He made a mental note to check in, just in case.) “Then why?”

“I… can’t tell you,” Tantei-kun said through his teeth, like the answer had to be dragged from his throat.

“Then I can’t give you more,” Kaito said simply.

“KID-!”

“I’m sorry, Tantei-kun, but I’ve been an enabler for too long.” Kaito held up his hands in a ‘what can you do’ gesture. “If you want more concealer, you’re going to have to tell me what you want it for.”

Tantei-kun pursed his lips, eyes tracing Kaito’s face in a calculating manner. When it became apparent there was no way around it, he hissed a sigh through his teeth, dragged a hand through his hair, then threw his arms open wide. “Okay! I’ll tell you!”

Kaito straightened, eager to finally get an answer to the questions that had plagued him for months now.

“But not here.” Tantei-kun gave the empty hallways a look. “Too risky. You know where Agasa’s house is?”

“The scientist you and your friends hang out with?” KID thought for a moment. “Yeah, I know of him.”

“Meet me at his house. Tonight,” Tantei-kun ordered. “I’ll tell you there.”

“Got it.” KID nodded. Then he blinked when Tantei-kun held out a hand. “Ha?”

“I promised to tell you, so hand it over,” Tantei-kun clarified.

“Oh-ho no.” KID shook his head. “No way, Tantei-kun. I’m holding it ransom.”

“You think I won’t keep my promise?” Oh, the boy looked pissed at that.

“Promise? Yes.” KID poked the kid’s cheek. “Not call Nakamori-keibu in an ambush since you already got what you want? No.”

The kid clicked his tongue. “You’re sharper than I give you credit for.”

“I should be insulted by that,” KID said. “But now, I’m just disappointed in you. To think, my favorite critic would try to ambush me!”

“Just for that, I’m telling Nakamori to check all of his officers.”

Tantei-kun didn’t. But he did warn Nakamori that KID was waiting for rain in order to pull off his heist. In spite of the extra information, KID still managed to pull of his heist with more fanfare than usual, given it was a ‘reverse’ heist.

And that Tantei-kun thanked him afterwards, well, that was just icing on the cake.

* * * * *

Kaito found himself standing outside a large house, staring down at a little girl and floundering for words. “Uh… is… Conan-kun here?”

The girl stared for a long moment before looking over her shoulder. “Edogawa-kun! Your thief is here!”

Wha— how rude! Kaito had gone through the painstaking effort to disguise himself as Mouri Ran again. She could at least have the decency to treat him like the woman he was!

On second thought, how had she known…?

“I told her you were coming by,” Tantei-kun said, face pinched in a scowl. “Can you not dress like Ran when we talk? This is already hard enough as it is.”

“Hmm…” Kaito dropped a few smoke bombs and flash-changed his outfit. Hakuba Saguru posed on the doorstep, self-righteous smirk in place. “This better?”

Tantei-kun gave him an unimpressed look. “… I’ll take it. Come in.”

He and the little girl stepped to the side to allow Kaito in. Tantei-kun continued further in as the girl closed the door behind him.

“Concealer,” the girl ordered, hand out.

“…I’m sorry?” Kaito stared down at her.

“Haibara is working on recreating the formula for the concealer you have,” Tantei-kun clarified from the couch in the spacious living room. “That way I don’t have to rely on you to get more.”

“Aw, but then how else will I convince you to let me go?” KID whined. Still, he dug out the small bottle and dropped it into waiting hands.

“Something tells me you can get by without me blackmailing you.” Tantei-kun wrinkled his nose. “Or the other way around.”

“Hmm… that’s fair.” Kaito seated himself on the other couch, facing his little critic like the opponents they were. “Now, why do you need the concealer? And so much of it, at that.”

“For starters, both Haibara and I need it. Your comment of how it should last twice as long as it has been? Doesn’t pan out when you have two people using it. As for why I need it…” Tantei-kun inhaled stiffly and straightened his shoulders. “I need to hide my Mark. My Soulmark.”

Kaito blinked. Then laughed. “Hah! Right. A six-year-old with a Soulmark? Really, Tantei-kun, I thought we were being honest here.”

“We are. I am,” Tantei-kun said, voice agitated. “I’m not actually six. I’m sixteen. My Mark appeared on my tenth birthday, like all other Mark Soulmates. When I got turned into a child, it didn’t go away.”

“Right… and how, exactly did you get turned into a child?” Kaito couldn’t help the disbelief in his voice. Yes, Tantei-kun was quite smart for a child, but all physical evidence pointed to him being some sort of prodigy, not a sixteen-year-old turned six.

“I was investigating some shady dealings by men in black suits. They got the jump on me and forced me to down some experimental medicine. All their previous research said it was supposed to kill people, but a microscopic percentage…” Tantei-kun looked down at his hands. “Get turned into this.”

“So you’re saying that a magic drug de-aged you… and you expect me to believe this?” Kaito’s eyebrows rose at the absurdity.

“Edogawa-kun is not the only person it happened to,” the little girl, Haibara, said as she came to sit beside Tantei-kun. She had a rag in hand and was wiping at her own skin. Flakes of concealer came off on the rag until a black script could be seen. Mitsuhiko Tsuburaya was printed as plain as day. “I took the pill of my own accord, but it had similar results. Since then, I’ve found myself here, living as someone else.”

The words… looked real, but Kaito knew just how easily they could be fabricated. With a wave of his hand, he pulled out a handkerchief and a small bottle of his home-made solvent and dabbed a bit on the cloth. He reached forward, then paused. “May I?”

Haibara looked uneasy, but offered her arm.

“What is that?” Tantei-kun demanded as he watched on with scrutinizing eyes.

“An all-around solvent,” Kaito explained as he took a gentle hold of her wrist. “Works on most household stains: markers, pen, makeup, grease, et cetera. Strong enough to pull them off, but still gentle enough to not irritate skin.”

As he spoke, he worked at the black words, as if they were a difficult smudge. But after working diligently for several seconds, he pulled away the cloth to reveal the black lines, still as clear as day. They were no impermanent markings. So either someone had the insane notion to allow their six-year-old to get a name tattooed on their wrist, or… “It’s real.”

“Like I said.” Tantei-kun huffed.

“You’ll have to forgive me,” KID said as he threw the handkerchief up. It disappeared in mid-air as he secreted away the bottle of his solvent. “It is not every day, my favorite critic turns out to be a de-aged… how old did you say you were?”

“Sixteen,” Tantei-kun replied.

Kaito blinked. That was the same age as him.

“And I was eighteen before I was shrunk,” Haibara added, running her fingers over her wrist. “And I do say ‘shrunk’. If we were de-aged, then our Marks should have left too. As they have not…”

“Then time wasn’t re-wound.” Kaito got the gist of what she meant. “So you’re using the concealer to cover your Marks, so that people don’t know that you’ve shrunk.”

“That and to evade the organization that is behind the toxin that shrunk us.” Haibara looked down at her lap. “I was with them for many years before I managed to get away. They know me. They know what I look like. They know what Mark I have. If they were to ever find me, they would put a bullet through my skull before I ever had a chance to run.”

Kaito swallowed thickly and tried not to think about the snipers that sometimes took shots at his heists. He tried not to think of the men who had killed his father, or the impossible chase they were competing against him in. There was no way Tantei-kun’s organization and his could be related.

No way… right?

“As for me,” Tantei-kun said loudly and without caution. “I just don’t believe in Marks.”

That brought Kaito up short.

“Are you surprised?” Tantei-kun asked. Kaito wondered what had given him away. “You shouldn’t be. You of all people should know that some people don’t believe in the Marks.”

“I have my own reasons for keeping mine covered. Not the least of which being how easy it would be to track me down as a civilian if the Inspector was able to see my Mark,” Kaito explained. It was an excuse in every sense of the word. Even if the Inspector saw, it wouldn’t help. Kuroba Kaito didn’t have a Mark. He never had.

“Is that so?” Tantei-kun made a discerning noise before giving a shrug. “I just don’t want to subscribe to the idea of Nominative Determinism.”

KID frowned. He hadn’t heard of that before. “Noma… what now?”

“The idea that I’ll fall in love with someone just because their name is on my wrist.” Tantei-kun paused, then rolled his eyes. “Or, technically, it has to do with certain people being named certain things and then going on to follow a certain career path. Like a person named Hiro becoming a policeman or a person with the last name Bowser going on to lead Nintendo. But I think it applies to this situation too.”

“Please.” Haibara sighed heavily, like this was an argument they had multiple times before. “You just don’t want to believe in fate.”

“Some meta-physical entity that guides all people to a certain end despite the free-will people exert over their own lives is just a bunch of hog-wash.” Tantei-kun huffed.

“And the fact that meta-physical entity also knew that you preferred men over women just happens to be a coincidence.” Haibara pointed out.

Tantei-kun just scowled at her.

“So you aren’t planning to look for your Marked?” KID asked. “I have to say, this is the first time I’ve met someone who didn’t want to find their Soulmate.”

“I want to, I just don’t want it to be because of some ink on my skin!” Tantei-kun waved a hand around as if it would get his point across. “The names don’t even mean anything!”

“Oh?” KID cocked his head to the side. “How so?”

“Look at it this way. Say that the name on my wrist is something like… Okino Yoko,” Tantei-kun decided at random. “Who’s the first person to pop into your mind?”

“The famous celebrity,” KID answered without hesitation.

“Exactly!” Tantei-kun pointed to him. “But Okino Yoko isn’t the only one to have that name. There could be another Okino Yoko in Kyoto that lived her entire life as a shopkeeper or maybe one in Hokaido that is the CEO of a business. Either one of them could be my ‘Soulmate’ but because I recognized the celebrity first, I would become fixated on her, whether she has my name or someone else’s or no name at all. And that’s just one example!”

He threw his hands up in emphasis. “Think of how many people have the first name Hiro! Or over in America, the last name Smith! There are only so many last names and so many first names that people use. It is not entirely outside the realm of possibility that the name on your wrist could be shared by dozens of people around the world. That’s not even taking into account the people who legally change their names over the years.”

“And so, instead of trying to find the right one, you decide not to try at all?” KID couldn’t help a raised brow. “That doesn’t sound like you, Tantei-kun.”

“I’m not giving up.” Tantei-kun scowled. “I’m just not letting myself worry over it. If I like a person, I’ll ask them out. If I don’t like someone, I’m not obligated to go on a date just because they have the right name. I may have a name on my wrist, but I’m not going to let it rule my life.”

That was… a unique way of looking at things. A brave way of looking at things. Kaito… he wished his reason was just as good. In the end, though, he was just a coward.

“Which is why Haibara needs more samples of your concealer, so I can keep using it even when I put you behind bars,” Tantei-kun said decisively.

Kaito couldn’t help a laugh at that. “Well, you keep at it, Tantei-kun. I’m sure you’ll get me one of these days.”

“What makes you think I haven’t already?” Tantei-kun asked. Kaito froze. “Haibara, how long does it take for emergency services to respond to a phone call?”

“About eight minutes,” Haibara said calmly.

It had been seven minutes since Kaito walked in. Seven minutes since Tantei-kun had come to the door. Seven minutes since Kaito had handed off the newest sample of his concealer.

Alarms sounded in the distance.

* * * * *

That was a dirty trick Tantei-kun pulled, but Kaito really couldn’t blame him. Their little game of cat and mouse wouldn’t be nearly as fun without a little surprise every now and then.

Oh, he’d managed to get away, of course, but it told KID that he had to be careful not to let his guard down around the little detective, no matter how adorable the boy was.

(Should he really be thinking that? Tantei-kun was a child after all. Or technically, he was sixteen? But then, Kaito didn’t think his sixteen-year-old self would be categorized as ‘adorable’. ‘Dangerous’ maybe, or ‘sexy’ if Kaito was feeling generous. He didn’t actually know what Tantei-kun looked like grown up, but for as active as the boy was, he had to be a looker.)

Despite the latest failure, the boy didn’t let up. He still hounded KID for another bottle of concealer every few months—which KID handed over easily now that he knew the boy’s reasons. Tantei-kun still tried to turn him in every chance he got, despite the fact that Haibara had yet to recreate the formula that KID used to make the concealer. KID wondered, idly, if Haibara had stopped making progress on purpose.

A certified child genius, already holding a PhD in chemistry and biology? No way it took her more than a month or two to figure it out.

But she didn’t, so Tantei-kun kept coming back to him and the cycle repeated itself over and over again.

Until one day, there was a change.

On the Mystery Train heist, Tantei-kun tracked KID down again, but instead of demanding a bottle of concealer, he nearly begged KID for his help in saving Haibara’s life. Kaito ended up in a train car full of explosives for his troubles and had to ditch a fast-moving vehicle to hang-glide his way to safety, but he liked to think he and Tantei-kun came to and understanding.

That, and he got Tantei-kun’s phone number, so he could antagonize him all he wanted from a safe distance away.

Annoying text messages turned into random memes, then into angry phone calls and quiet murmurings in the middle of the night.

Kaito learned that the organization Tantei-kun was after had eerily similar goals to his own. They both sought immortality. They both worked under codenames and a strict set of ‘no-second-chance’ rules. They both worked for one, unknown individual that seemed to be pulling all the strings.

The similarities were too close to ignore.

“We might be after the same thing here,” Tantei-kun said, voicing the one subject neither had broached since the beginning of their strange alliance. “These organizations, they’re too similar.”

“Similar doesn’t always mean the same, Tantei-kun,” Kaito replied easily, though he couldn’t find any doubt to back it up. “Correlation doesn’t always equal causation. You, of all people, should know that.”

“Even so,” Tantei-kun’s tone shifted lower, as if suddenly worried someone would overhear. “I think we should keep each other posted. Something I find might benefit you and something you find might give me another lead.”

“So you want to, what? Work together?” Kaito couldn’t help the grin playing at his lips. “A thief and a detective?”

“We’re pooling our resources,” Tantei-kun said but without his usual bite. “Just… keep me updated, okay? I’ll keep you in the loop too.”

“Roger, Meitantei.” Kaito gave a little mock-salute, even though he knew Tantei-kun wouldn’t be able to see. “How about we make it a little competition, ne? See who can take down their organization first?”

Tantei-kun just scoffed in answer.

So they began to exchange information. Tantei-kun shared bits and pieces of his daily life as he tried to track down the people who had shrunk him. Kaito very carefully divulged the pieces he thought couldn’t be traced back to himself. Their talks moved from information to checking in to relaying silly tales about the day.

It was smooth. It was subtle. The way that Tantei-kun moved into his life. Kaito didn’t realize just how much it meant to have the other boy, the other teen, as an ally, (as a friend) until one question had him stopping cold in his tracks.

“Where did you even come up with the recipe for this concealer?” Tantei-kun wondered aloud. “Haibara swears there’s nothing like it on the market. It’s super practical—it barely comes off when I wear my watch over it! You must have gone through a lot of trial and error to get it to work right.”

And Kaito… couldn’t help the painfully true answer that slipped through his teeth. “I didn’t.”

“What?”

“I didn’t come up with it,” he repeated stiffly, mouth working on its own. “I… got the recipe from someone else.”

There was a long pause before Tantei-kun spoke. “The first Kaitou KID.”

Kaito gasped, eyes going wide. “How… How did you…?”

“It doesn’t take a genius to see that the KID from before the seven year gap was far more cautious than you. He didn’t flaunt his skills. He didn’t play to the crowd. Sure, he was a performer, but he was calm, cautious, had everything laid out to the point where he could literally walk through the police officers, pluck the gem from the display, and disappear,” Tantei-kun listed off. “You aren’t like that.”

“What?” Kaito let out a bitter laugh. “Are you saying I’m not good enough? Are you saying the first KID was better?”

It wouldn’t be a lie. And Kaito knew that all too well.

“Not at all. The first KID was talented, but he was there with a goal. He wanted the items he stole. He didn’t want to play up the crowd more than he had to,” Tantei-kun said quietly. “You… you take risks. Big risks. Scaling-the-side-of-a-building risks. But they always pay off. Your fans always come back for more and draw a larger and larger crowd. He would appear in the spotlight, but you… you live in it. There’s not really a way to compare the two of you, other than the First KID and the Second.”

Despite himself, Kaito’s eyes started to burn. His nose got a little clogged and his throat got a painful lump in it. Because Tantei-kun had just complimented him, had seen Kaito’s plights and acknowledged him and set him equal to the first KID—to his father, Kuroba Toichi.

And Tantei-kun would never lie about this.

“He was my father,” Kaito croaked before he could stop himself. “The first KID. He was my father.”

Tantei-kun didn’t say anything. The silence was an answer in and of itself.

“He was after Pandora too. Just like I am. He’s the reason I’m searching for it.” Kaito paused to take a steadying breath and blink back the tears. This pain was years old. He should be over it by now. It still hurt, especially since… “The organization… they killed him for it. They found out his identity, and killed him in front a crowd of people… in front of me. They made it look like an accident, and I believed that for years, and then—!”

“And then you found out the truth,” Tantei-kun finished when it got too hard to speak. “And decided make them pay.”

Kaito managed to make some noise of confirmation.

“While I don’t like the way you went about it, I can understand your reasoning.” Tantei-kun let out a tired sigh. “Looks like we’ve both dug our own holes, huh?”

Kaito let out a wet laugh.

“Your father… were he and your mother…?”

“Soulmates,” Kaito confirmed. “When he… when he was gone… it shattered her. It took weeks for her to get out of bed. Months to even start to get her life back in order. Even now, she can’t stay in the house for long because it’s where he lived. I could only do so much.”

“I’m sorry that happened,” Tantei-kun said. “I’m sorry you had to recover from that. I’m sorry you had to help her recover from that.”

“Sometimes… Sometimes I think…” he started, non-sequitur. He clutched the phone tighter to himself, spoke more softly as if it would keep the truth from escaping. “I think… that it would be better off if they hadn’t met. If they hadn’t fallen in love. If they hadn’t been Soulmates, because then… then she wouldn’t have been so hurt.”

Tantei-kun took a long moment to think before answering. “I think she would disagree. I think she would say that, even though there was pain, she had some of her happiest moments with him. Most every Soulmate says that. And besides, if they hadn’t fallen in love… they wouldn’t have had you.”

“And I’m someone special?” Kaito either laughed or hiccupped, he wasn’t sure. “I’m just a thief.”

“A thief who has done more daring stunts than anyone alive. A thief who has consistently remained out of law enforcement hands through sheer will and luck alone. A thief who is taking on an entire underground criminal syndicate in order to avenge his father who had left this world too early,” Tantei-kun said heatedly. “Calling you ‘just a thief’, is like calling me ‘just a detective’.”

“I guess you would know, Meitantei.” And this time, Kaito knew it was a laugh.

“I would indeed,” Tantei-kun said, matter-of-factly. Then his voice softened again. “Is that… why you hide your Mark? Is that why you don’t believe in Soulmates?”

“… I believe in them,” Kaito said quietly. He sniffled, trying to keep the nasally tone out of his voice. “I just… don’t know if I’m strong enough to be with one. Or if they are strong enough to handle having me as one. If I went out the same way as my father…”

The thought of someone else going through what his mother had… it was painful. For it to be someone he loved? Someone he wanted to be happy? Someone he only wished to see a smile from?

The thought was agonizing.

“… I won’t try to tell you how to act or how to think. If you want to avoid them, I won’t try to convince you otherwise,” Tantei-kun said. “But for what it’s worth? I think anyone would be grateful to have you. For however much time you gave them.”

And in spite of himself, Tantei-kun’s words really did make Kaito feel better.

* * * * *

After their talk, they grew closer in a way Kaito could not verbalize. They didn’t meet up more often. They didn’t call any more than they had (though it was a lot to start with). The subject of their calls did change from time to time, but not with any consistency.

It was as if they had fallen into some kind of routine that Kaito never wanted to end. A sort of comfort he never thought he’d have with another person—not after covering his Mark and promising to forget about the name he’d seen.

Kaito found he didn’t want to let that go.

“Would you ever tell them?” He found himself asking one day.

It was during one of their rare physical meet-ups, where he gave Tantei-kun some more concealer, even though Haibara had definitely solved the formula long before then. He knew it was an excuse to see the other, knew Tantei-kun saw it the same, but neither of them said a word. Neither wanted the charade to end.

“Tell who what?” Tantei-kun asked, confused by the off-topic question.

“Your…” What did people call their significant others if not Soulmates? “Lover. If you end up marrying someone who doesn’t have the same name as the one on your wrist. Will you ever tell them?”

Tantei-kun looked thoughtful as he paused to ruminate. “I think… I would give them the option. I don’t want to lie to them. A relationship built on a lie isn’t a relationship at all. But I know that… some people handle the truth worse than a lie. If they don’t want to know, then I’ll keep it hidden for as long as I can.”

“As long as you can?”

“I’m not perfect and I won’t claim to be. Accidents happen.” Tantei-kun shrugged. “Despite my best efforts, they will likely find out either way.”

Yeah… Kaito had often thought the same. He opened his mouth to agree, but what came out instead was, “I want to date you.”

Tantei-kun stared at him, wide-eyed. His gaze went from Kaito, down to his tiny hands, then back to Kaito. “Um…”

Kaito flushed red. “Not now! Not when we’ve got… everything else going on! I meant when you change back.”

“If I change back,” Tantei-kun corrected bitterly.

“When you change back,” Kaito repeated with determination. “I want to meet up and… I don’t know. Go to the movies? Hit an amusement park? Walk around the zoo? Whatever normal teens our age do when they go on dates.”

Tantei-kun snorted. “Because we’re normal teens.”

“By then, we will be,” Kaito said softly. “You’ll be back to your own age, I’ll hang up the mantle of KID for good and we’ll just be… two guys, hanging out. Not six-feet away ‘cause we are gay.”

“Bi,” Tantei-kun corrected, but he had his thinking face on. He looked tentative. “And you won’t be mad that… we aren’t Soulmates?”

Honestly, the thought kind of hurt Kaito a little, but he knew he would always end up in a situation like this. Ever since he decided to ignore the ink on his skin and search for other people’s happiness instead of his own. The fact that Tantei-kun wasn’t entirely focused on their Marks matching actually helped. Instead of telling the long-winded truth, Kaito just smiled and said, “Not at all.”

Tantei-kun’s soft, grateful grin was answer enough.

* * * * *

It wasn’t a happily ever after, after that conversation.

The organization got word of Tantei-kun. They started tailing him, even as KID tried to act as the distraction. He managed to pull some attention away, but it seemed like the roaches were crawling out of the woodwork.

Tantei-kun’s parents came in to stay, and with them a few members of the American Secret Services. A few insiders in the organization managed to maintain their cover and leak information as they could, but it was obvious they could only do so much.

The game had been set. The clock was ticking forward, carrying them on toward the finally fight as the momentum picked up.

It came to a head in a fiery show-down of chaos and death.

Both sides lost people. Gin and Snake and a number of other agents were gunned down or chose to turn their guns on themselves. Very few were taken into custody. Vermouth was lost to the carnage, unable to free herself of the shadows that had claimed her.

The leader of the ring, Karasuma Renya, was caught, but whether the police would be able to press charges remained to be seen. He had been skillful at keeping his hands clean as his henchmen killed hundreds of people in their wake.

Kaito made it out with multiple sprains and contusions and one (very painful) gunshot wound. But his luck had held up and he managed to survive to see another day. With a full pardon, something he hadn’t been expecting until a piece of paper was shoved into his hands by a very stoic Nakamori.

(He was grateful he had the foresight to give himself a long-term disguise and for Tantei-kun admitting him to the hospital under the name Kaitou KID. He didn’t want to see Nakamori’s face when he realized Kaito had been behind the monocle. Hopefully, he never would.)

As for Tantei-kun… well, he had never left the safety of their home-base.

Oh, he had whined and carried on and bargained with every person that went through the door, but none had let him step foot out of the safe house until the fighting was over. For good reason, too. Though he may be sixteen in mind, taking a six-year-old into battle was just asking for bad things to happen.

He did make one hell of a Chess Master though, as he kept in touch over the headsets everyone was obligated to wear. As he called shots left and right in a deadly calm voice, Kaito was reminded, once again, just how spectacular his favorite critic was.

So Tantei-kun was safe, Kaito was recovering and Haibara was reverse-engineering the toxin that had set off the chain of events that led them to where they were today. Now, it was only a matter of resting and healing from the Day of Reckoning.

That, and meeting Tantei-kun for real, face-to-face.

Kaito still remembered Tantei-kun’s promise back before the worst was over. After having survived what could only be described as the single most idiotic decision of his life, Kaito wanted to cash in on that promise.

When he was finally released from the hospital, he decided he would do just that.

Standing on the curb just outside the front doors, Kaito fidgeted as he waited for his ride. Tantei-kun was supposed to pick him up, but the area was clear, not another car in sight. That didn’t spell good things for his nerves.

Not wanting to lose his confidence, Kaito dialed a well-known number and held his phone up to his ear. It rang twice before an unfamiliar voice answered. “To your left.”

Startled, Kaito looked to his left, only to see…

The most beautiful man he had ever met in his life. Or maybe handsome was a better word? He was impeccably dressed, white button-up ironed straight and navy blue suit jacket just reaching his wrists. His blue eyes sparkled right above a wide, familiar smile as he lowered the phone and hung it up.

He was so different and yet so familiar. It could only be—!

“Tantei-kun?” Kaito whispered, scared he was wrong.

“Technically, my name is Kudou Shinichi, but yes, I am—was the little detective that followed you around.” Tantei-kun rolled his eyes and offered a hand. “It’s nice to meet you, for real this time.”

“The pleasure is all mine,” Kaito said, grasping the other’s hand firmly. He didn’t want to let go.

Then the rest of the words caught up with him.

Kaito blinked, taken aback. “Wait, what did you say your name was?”

“Kudou Shinichi?” Tantei—Kudou Shinichi frowned at him, concerned. “Why?”

Kaito hurriedly dropped their hands so he could drag his sleeve up. It took his three tries as his hands shook and he didn’t want to take his eyes off of Shinichi in order to pay attention to what he was doing.

Shinichi watched him with trepidation as Kaito rubbed off the concealer he’d covered his skin with for the last seven years. It had been days since he’d last applied it, so it rubbed off as easily as the temporary glue he used to hold on his masks.

When most of it had been scrubbed off, he held his wrist out to a now wide-eyed Kudou Shinichi who stared down at it with something akin to horror.

“No. No way.” Shinichi shook his head, then reached forward. He turned his gaze this way and that, like it would change the words if he looked at it the right way. But no, Kudou Shinichi remained scrawled across Kaito’s skin in the deepest of blacks. “That’s not—! That’s not possible! You couldn’t have known!”

“I didn’t,” Kaito said, a little slack-jawed. “I didn’t know who you were until today.”

“But that can’t—!” Shinichi abruptly cut himself off. His sharp gaze came up, trapping Kaito in its magnetic hold. “What’s your name?”

“Kuroba Kaito,” he answered, a little breathless. Because it couldn’t be. It couldn’t just work like that. Fate couldn’t be that spot-on… right?

“But that’s—! But I—!” Shinichi dropped his arm to turn around and yell at the sky. “No!” then he turned to Kaito. “No!”

Kaito wilted at the vehemence with which the word was spat. “No?”

“No, I mean, not ‘no’ to you!” Shinichi hurriedly tried to correct himself. “’Yes’ to you, but ‘no’ to Fate because that can’t—! This cannot be happening! This is bullshit!”

Kaito frowned and reached out to grab Shinichi’s flailing hands. His action was surprising enough to give the detective pause, a hesitation Kaito took advantage of as he checked his right wrist, then his left. It was when Kaito let go one and started to take off Shinichi’s watch that the detective realized what he was doing. “No, Kaito, wait—!”

Kuroba Kaito stared back at him, a little dusty from the remains of the concealer the watch had rubbed away.

“We’re Soulmates,” Kaito breathed as Shinichi yanked his hand free. He looked up, still reeling from the shock. “We’ve known each other for at least a year and we were Soulmates!”

“Things cannot work out this well!” Shinichi continued on with his rant. “The probability of having matching Marks in a world full of ‘Kuroba Kaito’s and ‘Kudou Shinichi’s is so infinitesimally small that—!”

“You didn’t know my name until two minutes ago,” Kaito said as he caught the other by the waist. Shinichi leaned away from him with obvious disapproval, but didn’t try to escape his hold. Kaito just rested his chin on the other’s shoulder. “You can’t claim Nominative Determinism when you didn’t even know who I was.”

“I knew who you were,” Shinichi grumbled, but slid his arms under Kaito’s and hooked his fingers into the back of his jacket. “I knew you were annoying and over-dramatic and… kind and smart and selfless to a fault...”

“Careful! I’ll think you’re complimenting me.” Kaito laughed.

“And egotistical,” Shinichi finished, just to be contrary. “I knew you. I just didn’t have the name to go with it.”

Kaito hummed in agreement. “Best name ever, huh?”

Shinichi let out a sigh, but answered. “Wouldn’t change it for the world.”

And for once, Kaito agreed.

“… I still don’t believe in Fate.”

“Shinichi, by this point, I don’t think you can argue against it.”

“No! Fate isn’t real! Just like Luck and Magic! It’s just a bunch of made up things to make people feel better about themselves!”

“A certain girl in my class would have something to say against you.”

“What was that?”

“I was asking if you wanted to go to the zoo? After all, you did promise me a date, didn’t you?”

A content sigh. “Yeah, I suppose I did.”

It was the best date in history, in Kaito's humble opinion. As well as every date after that.

#dcmk #dcmk fic #fanfic #kaishin #Kuroba Kaito #kudou shinichi #ai haibara #soulmate au #soulmate alternate universe #angst #fluff #hurt/comfort #shinichi x kaito

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thelastyetfabolousmidwestmadman · 4 years

Text

Detective Conan Deconstruction/Plot Twists/Subversion's

Howdy!

I've been thinking a lot because I haven't slept or been made sensible enough to see reality through rational means of comprehension.

For a black and white series of tales such as Gosho Aoyama's DCMKverse I can sure think of a multitude of ways to turn it grey. So many dark, bloody possibilities, such a endless plethora of grief, angst, and schadenfreude, of voided bowels and lost innocence, so many terrifying ideas yet so little time...

Anyway, to summarize the contents of all that verbal diarrhea, my mind has created a vast orchestra of sinister ideas that I can't put them all in one or more stories. Some of them I'll use later, some of them I will not. I guess my main inspiration for this stream of consciousness that shouts madly into the abyss of the World Wide Web, is the idea that some intrepid, curious wanderer may come across my inane rantings and be inspired to write their own atrocities.

Or maybe it will the stoke the wondrous imagination of a writer who is more of a sick fuck then I am, (:

There are five areas that can be twisted into something cruel. They contain the following:

Cases

Heists

Romance

Character Flaws

Black Organization

Get it on!

Case’s

Suspect Gets The Last Laugh- Killer is revealed but manages to poison the victim with Ricin or something more subtle allowing the target to die a couple days later. Simple enough.

More Then One Killer- The killer is caught! However a quick look back at the scene reveals he wasn’t alone and he ain’t spilling the beans.

Hannibal Lector Wannabe- A killer decides to fuck with our beloved Teen Detectives by playing a game of manipulation and horror while he threatens their loved ones into continuing.

Escaping Through Statute Of Limitations- When Our Teen Detectives decide to give their customary breaking speech,

Killer Gets Out Of It, Now After Detectives- The killer proves much too clever and sees through our casts tricks. Maybe he begin’s to notice Conan’s con and swears revenge out of his ego.

Loved Ones Hurt In The Crossfire- They were too quick for Conan’s soccer ball, Heiji’s sword, Kogoro’s Judo, or Division One’s reflexes. The bullets, blades, bludgeons. and Pelvic Thrusts couldn’t be avoided and the innocent were hurt before they could be saved.

It’s Too Much All At Once- When the cast see a suspect state his intention to kill himself, especially in the early episodes, the cast would dare them to do it, thinking it is a bluff. It isn’t.

All For Naught- Going down a dark rabbit hole isn’t worth it, if a killer turns out to have escaped or has been dead for a long time.

Big Troll- There was no murder or kidnapping, they just wanted to humiliate them.

Green Mistake- Not all detectives succeed at once. Sometimes they make mistakes... Okay just here me out here. I sincerely doubt that all those amateur detectives despite their talent have a perfect track record in solving cases or even not getting a innocent person hurt. Just look at Heiji’s, Kogoro’s, and Sera’s early (or in Kogoro’s case many) mistakes. It’s statistically impossible to get it right all the time.

Victim Is Worse- Conan and the gang successfully prevent a client from being murdered. The criminal screams at them, telling them how evil he was, and how this was mistake. When they learn of the clients sick actions, they understand why.

Romance

Waiting For Someone Who Is No Longer There- Lets think about the situation between Shinichi and Ran for a sec. if your like me you come to a unfortunate realization that was also in the OVA “Stranger In 10 Years.” Shinichi may never get back to the way he was. Maybe there is no antidote. What if he disappears in that time? And I don’t mean move on, I mean dies without anyone knowing. Ran now has to deal with both a missing Shinichi and a vanished Conan. Yet, throughout her whole life Ran holds out hope, waiting for them. Waiting for Shinichi to call. She refuses to fall in love with someone else and becomes obsessed with finding them... Until in her old age, she dies.

The Sleeping Sleuth Sleeps Around- Okay just listen to my reasoning here for a sec. I know many of you are probably sharpening their knives in the comments but let’s really think about this for a sec. This is the same Kogoro who smacked the butt of one of the Black Bunnies, and repeatedly motorboats whatever young woman he comes across. I doubt if Eri is okay with that. Plus, alcoholism and nymphomania is not a winning combination. He could easily make a mistake while in his delirium.

Shinichi’s Toxic Jealousy- Once again bear with me on this. I don’t think either Shinichi (or Kogoro for that matter) are evil. They have flaws just like any other person. However, Shinichi can be sort of a dick with it comes to how territorial he is with Ran. Just look at Eisuke. Unlike most of the perverts who are after her, Eisuke is a genuinely nice guy and Shinichi treats him like garbage. That got me thinking... Maybe Shinichi’s claims about wanting Ran to be happy aren’t entirely true. A part of him knows what he’s doing is wrong but a selfish side can’t. What if Shinichi’s jealousy starts to hurt Ran severely? Again it have to be written well so Shinichi doesn’t come off like a unrepentant dick but I think there’s something there.

Character Flaws

Hot Headedness Get You Or Others Killed- This idea concerns Heiji mostly. A rather temperamental fellow isn’t he? Always rushing into danger without thinking or having trouble with guile... Ain’t that a losing combination innit? I wonder how many criminals can take advantage of that eh? How easy it would be to trick Heiji to go into a trap if Kazuha is threatened, how simple it would be to switch a blunted blade with a sharpened one, how effortless it would be to get important information, how utterly painless it would be to manipulate him... Well I’ll leave you lovely sick bastards to come up with more.

Dysfunction Junction- Let’s talk about the Mouri’s. They’re... Not healthy to say the least. With Kogoro’s gambling/drinking/man-whoring problem barely touched upon, as well as his abuse of Conan along with Eri’s absenteeism I can say that’s a huge target for blackmailers, debt collectors, and Count Of Monte Crisco wannabes.

Conan The Gremlin- Y’know for such a seemingly innocent little boy, he sure gets into a lot of trouble don’t he? Murders keep happening around him like a curse, and that animal tranquilizer can’t be healthy for Sonoko and Kogoro... Plus people could find out who he truly is and... Well it would probably be really messy wouldn’t it?

Incompetence From The Police- In all seriousness, let’s think about this for a second. You have a overburdened police dealing with a intense rise in the murder rate, illicit narcotic consumption, and terrorism... But before we can get any further let’s talk about real life Japanese criminal procedure. In Japan you can be held for 21 days in a tiny dark cell without due process or access to a lawyer. Your are also being interrogated with the police officers using abusive tactics such as telling you how ashamed your family would be, something that can’t happen in a culture based on Confucian values. You confess but take it back only to find that you’re basically fucked since Japan has a 99% conviction rate regardless of innocence. If your a drug addict, you are literally considered nonhuman by the public at large and due to the Reaganite standards treatment isn’t a option. If your on death row, you are never told when your going to die and even if innocent is unlikely to get out. Stressed at the rising crime rate, the police refuse to investigate any suspicious death and just like in Osaka (yes this actually happened) will simply not add to the police statistics. If your a police officer what are you to do? Just a few years ago there was so little crime and now your stressed to the bone. You’re largely conservative and full of pride so you won’t admit that you must change tactics. This quick jump to conclusions and borderline incompetence can be seen in so many episodes of Detective Conan that’s it’s a wonder that more people haven’t been wrongfully convicted or got away with it... Or perhaps they have.

Black Organization

Government Corruption- Given how much sway the BO has, it got me thinking. What if everything wrong with the Japanese Government is because the BO IS the government. Something sorta akin to how the Russian Mob are basically government officials. So many possibilities other then the usual blackmail, assassinations, and bombings. Electoral fraud, jury tampering, manufacturing consent, subtle revisions of the law to encroach on democratic rights such as those the Third Way, and Neoconservatives did in the west. So many more subtle yet intriguing ways to go about this! Perhaps the BO serves as a lobbying for other more savory companies that proudly align with them such as legalizing gambling or deregulating protections.

Caught!- The BO discovers Conan’s true identity. Hell follows.

Heists

Heist Bombing- Some madman or maybe the MK organization decides to bomb the Kid Heist. Lots of people die, are traumatized and have to deal with the aftermath. I’ll leave the rest up to you guys.

Crazy Fans- Self explanatory until you really think about it. If Kaito Kid is real in this universe, how toxic is the fandom? How many of them have pedophilic undertones with the beloved Kid Killer? What if a stalker discovers Kaito’s real identity and goes psychotic? Riots could happen! So many possibilities! Doesn’t have to dark like in my sick mind, can be played for laughs.

One last thing, because of how long this took to write, a certain beloved detective’s birthday is here.

So HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHIN-CHAN!!!

#magic kaito #detective conan #kaito kuroba #shinchi kudo #conan edogawa #ran mouri #suzuki sonoko #Black Organization #Eri Kisaki #Eisuke Hondou #Sato Miwako #heiji x kazuha #heiji hattori #kazuha toyama #sera masumi

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letitrainasunnyday · 4 years

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Don't you think that sometimes Shinichi loves Ran more when he's Conan more than when he's Shinichi? Yes, I know they are the same person, but I feel that while like Conan he loves her very much and she is the most important thing, on the occasions that he becomes Shinichi again his attitude changes, as if his interest in her was not the same as when he is Conan.

This is a very interesting and a very difficult question to answer, because there are many sides to what I want to say and I want them to be clear. Let me give it a try. I apologize in advance for the sheer insufferable length of this answer:

It’s really hard for us, the fans; for the characters, and for Shinichi himself --more on that in a second-- not to differentiate between Shinichi and Conan even though they’re the same person. The main reason why this happens is because we barely see Shinichi, but we live with Conan practically every day. So the brief instances in which we see Shinichi aren’t nearly enough to compare with the amount of time we’ve spent with Conan, so we feel like we know one more than the other. The second thing that makes it hard not to differentiate between the two is something as seemingly dumb and stupid as the name. We talk about Conan, and then we talk about Shinichi like he’s someone different mainly because the characters around him call him by different names. Even Aoyama calls Shinichi Conan more often than he calls him his real name when he gives interviews and such. (You’ll notice I try to avoid that as much as possible, and generally just call him Shinichi.) Plus, merchandise and openings and endings and, hell, even the covers of volumes often feature Shinichi and Conan together like they’re two different people.

Hell, even Shinichi himself --and this is where it gets really, really interesting and juicy-- has to differentiate between Conan and himself as if they were two different people just to keep himself sane. You’ll notice, and this breaks my heart a little bit, he refers to “his phone” and then “Shinichi’s phone”. He could call it “his phone” and “Conan’s phone”, but no, the distinction he makes is with Shinichi. Like he’s almost forgotten he’s Shinichi. Like he needs to believe that Shinichi is some other person just so that he believes his Conan façade enough to make it real. Cause that’s the other thing: they need to be different people if he’s gonna sell the Conan character and make people believe he really isn’t Shinichi. But, boy, this dichotomy is an identity crisis waiting to happen.

So what have we concluded thus far? That everything points to us almost unavoidably seeing Shinichi and Conan as two different entities. Everything points to it and Shinichi’s attitude adds to this, because you’re right, his attitude with people around him is different when he’s Conan and when he’s Shinichi. Because it has to be, especially with the people who don’t know who he is. Because Conan and Shinichi have to be different people.

But this separation of characters is a mistake. Because then what we get is people loving Conan, but hating Shinichi because they can’t put the two of them together. If we really start seeing them as separate characters, we start ignoring his character development, we start analyzing him through the wrong lens, and hate happens.

And I will tolerate no Shinichi hate in this house.

And what this all leads to is people mistaking Shinichi for the person he was pre-Aptx and revering Conan for the person he is now, and comparing the two. And that’s a very dangerous comparison to make. What we can compare is, for instance, Kyoto Shinichi and pre and post-Kyoto Conan. Because that is the same person. Tropical Land Shinichi and post-Kyoto Conan are not, because, everybody say it with me now: character development.

How convenient that Kyoto came up, isn’t it?

(I made it come up.)

Because during Kyoto Shinichi says one super important thing that a lot of us brushed off. But not me, my dudes. I never brush off anything Shinichi Kudo says. Mama didn’t raise no fool.

I’m talking about what he thinks when Ran bumps into him at the very beginning, that whole “I’ve been looking at her as Conan for so long I’ve forgotten what it was like to look at her from up close like this.” This is significant for two reasons, 1) this is essentially Aoyama saying, in a very polite way, that Shinichi feels significant physical differences when he’s Shinichi --which is normal, because you don’t have the same impulses when you’re 7 and when you’re 17-- and 2) it’s another way of saying Shinichi’s been looking at Ran from the Conan angle --not just the physically lower angle-- for so long, that he’s forgotten what it’s like to see her from the Shinichi angle.

He loves her the exact same way. That doesn’t change. What Conan does is what Shinichi would do and actually does. Because they are the same dude. Her safety and her happiness and wellbeing are still his top priority. He still loves her more than anyone else. He still wants to spend time with her and get back to her. The man goes for the make out, please let us never forget this. The feelings are exactly the same.

But the attitude changes slightly because his relationship with Ran as Shinichi is not the same as his relationship with Ran as Conan. Because Ran looks at Conan like a little brother, but she looks at Shinichi like the man she’s in love with. So when Shinichi says “I’ve gotten so used to looking at her as Conan” he really means “I’ve gotten so used to her treating me like a smaller brother and me having to limit myself”, and when he says “I’ve forgotten what looking at her up close was like”, he really means “I’ve missed this feeling of her looking at me like she loves me as much as I love her, and knowing I don’t really have to pretend like I don’t.”

(Also he means that he’s feeling impulses. But again, Aoyama is being polite.)

So I really don’t think that he loves her any less. I’m 100% sure he loves her the same, if not more. It’s just that his attitude is different because their relationship is different. Because Shinichi and Ran tease each other and flirt with each other and joke around, and Ran doesn’t do that with Conan. So we get to see Conan save Ran and worry about her endless times, but we don’t see Shinichi do that, even though he does.

I think that’s mainly what leads to the confusion. But we have to force ourselves to really think of Shinichi whenever we see Conan to avoid things like this happening.

#detective conan #does this make any sense??????#i tried to be clear but it's hard #kid is also like that if you notice but i didn't want to get into it now #conan #conan ask #shinichi ask #shinran ask #Anonymous

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trouvelle · 4 years

Text

The Dead Don’t Cry (II)

This is not a continuation;;; I mean maybe it is? but ok I don’t know what else to call it. All my love goes to this certain katana-wielding boy who doesn’t deserve any pain (cue my *nervous laugh*)

Fandom: Detective Conan/DCMK Pairing: Heiji/Kazuha Rating: PG-13 Genre/Tags: Tragedy, Angst, Horror, Zombie!AU Warning: Character Death Summary: Heiji smiles at her, wishing he has said I love you at least once, because that's how he feels. It's all too late now.

•

Inside the house that they managed to break into and settle in for a few months now, there is a room with a thick glass door. Ever since the outbreak happened, this is the second and only house that they occupied as their sanctuary. It was by sheer luck that Heiji’s father knew a rich congressman who had a custom-build house for extra protection because politicians are often paranoid, that’s all. Heiji is quite familiar with that room by now—it has been functioning as a sterile room they use to keep the virus out, or the one they use to lock the virus in. This is where his parents died, with gunshots to the head, delivered through tears and gritted teeth, and the last of his father's strength, demanding for Heiji to save himself.

Heiji heard how some people are catching the virus even without getting bitten. Some people say everyone has the dormant virus in their system, just waiting for it to fully emerge. Some say it's in the food. Either way, it doesn't look like the whole thing is going to be over any time soon.

It's been long since he survived this, and maybe Heiji shouldn't survive anymore. In a way, he's already lost to the zombies. There is a certain horror that doesn't leave you when you've seen so many of your friends and family die in the worst possible way. Some aren't themselves anymore, lost behind dead misty eyes and decaying skin. Some aren't intact upon their death, devoured into pieces by those creatures. Some others died in his own hands, asking to be killed before they turn into something they never wish to end up as. Heiji still wakes up with nightmares in the middle of the night, from Otaki-han’s voice begging for Heiji to take his life, from his father’s eyes that were no longer his own and the image of his mother’s bloody flesh.

It's not really a life worth living when every day is a constant report of deaths, a continuous loss of people he once knew. Kazuha, who has always been a ray of sunshine, keeps insisting that one day, the whole thing will pass. He notices that she has been saying it less nowadays, especially following the absence of her father.

The only other people Heiji knows to have survived are Shinichi and Ran. Kazuha talks to Ran on the phone every single day. They have been updating each other and just to keep themselves company. Once, Heiji overhears them trying to maintain a normal conversation, as if pretending that their lives haven’t been turned upside down.

As of last week, it's Ran who has passed.

"Ran-chan called to say goodbye," Kazuha informed him that day, voice wavering from the tears she fails to hold back. Shinichi had already called Heiji himself at sunset the day before. She’s infected, out of nowhere, the former Detective of the East confided to him, his voice raspy like he had been screaming for hours. That was the last he’s heard from Shinichi. (Heiji still dials his number every morning religiously.)

"And then Ran-chan—” Kazuha sobbed, “She… she s-said she will do it herself. She knows Kudo-kun wouldn’t."

Heiji banged his fist on the concrete wall. Shinichi and Ran were their closest friends, the last remnants of their old lives before the virus. "She’ll be okay," he whispered as he wrapped his hands around Kazuha, pulling her into a hug. He needed assurance just as much as she did. "I'm sure she’ll be okay soon."

An image spurred into Heiji's mind. Of Kazuha, trying to put a bullet to her own head… no, there's no way he could live with that. He would do whatever is necessary to prevent that from happening. They had fallen asleep in each others' arms, and when Heiji screamed himself awake from a nightmare, merely two hours later, Kazuha was already up, crying next to him.

•

The first thing he notices is the change in his voice. He always sounds gruffy in the morning, but this time it doesn't even sound human. It's too hoarse, too scratchy, too low—it's hard even to get a decent good morning out.

Of course Kazuha notices it, too. "Do you want me to go get you some medicine?" she asks right away, eyebrows furrowed in concern. They still have plenty to live off of, and unless it's absolutely necessary, Heiji really doesn't want either of them to go out. He would rather stay in and watch the TV, although it's just a tedious rerun of old cartoons with the occasional breaking news.

He shakes his head no. "I'll be okay," he answers, sounding the farthest from okay. Maybe he should try to go back to sleep.

"You should sleep some more," Kazuha says finally, still looking worried. She reaches to touch his cheek, stroking his face slightly, and he feels his skin burn with heat. He is way past the state of being shy and embarrassed upon any physical touch from this childhood friend of his, so it can only mean one thing.

It dawns on him then, what might be happening. Heiji jerks slightly from the realization, half hoping that she doesn't notice. He gets on his feet urgently, shaking his head some more. Please, please, please, don't let Kazuha notice. "Uh," he mutters. He doesn't think she is aware of his panic, so at least that's a relief. "I think I'll go shower."

"Okay," she agrees, not questioning anything despite the rather confused look in her eyes. "Do you want tea? I’ll make some porridge for breakfast today."

Heiji grins, hoping it comes off as his usual one. He nods quickly before rushing to the bathroom, closing the door behind him. In all honesty, he's panicking inside, and he needs to look in the mirror right now to calm himself down. But what he sees results in quite the opposite.

It takes a lot to notice the symptoms at this stage, but Heiji has seen it way too many times. He saw it on his father, he saw it on his mother—and now he's seeing it on himself. There is a red spot in his sclera, an early sign that it’s hemorrhaging. He sees the tiniest tint of grey covering his iris, one that he knows will spread until his eyes are misty and blood red both at once. He takes off his shirt and spots dark specks of rotten skin across his back, and it's confirmed, now, Heiji mourns. He's turning.

He doesn't think it's fair—he's been careful enough with everything he does, with everything he touches and everything he eats. But then again, nothing about living in a world full of the living dead is fair. Heiji slumps down to the floor and leans on the wall, banging the back of his head repeatedly against it. He's got Kazuha to think of, he's got his own feelings for Kazuha to worry about.

Heiji has never really told her what he feels, although he's certain that she knows by now. Love doesn't help much in this kind of life, and he doesn't want to burden her with feelings on top of the whole mess that is their universe. But now that he knows his time is up, really, Heiji just wants her to know how happy she makes him. How thankful he is to have spent his whole life with her.

Tears are trickling down his face, and he scratches his head in frustration, clawing some skin and hair off the side of his head. The violent strike is coming, too, Heiji realizes as he tries to stop himself from peeling his face off. From what he has seen, It takes around twelve hours for the transformation to take over completely, but the problem is that he doesn’t know when it first started. He knows it's selfish, but he really just wants to have more time being normal with Kazuha.

Maybe, maybe, just a few hours would be okay.

•

He prays that he has enough time with her so they can both cherish their last moments together. And right now, he prays that Shinichi is still alive and will answer his call. When the line goes through, although he hears nothing but low breathing on the other end, he exhales the breath he doesn’t even realize he’s been holding.

“Hattori.” The other boy starts.

When Heiji hears the familiar voice that belongs to his best friend, he feels a huge sense of relief and happiness, so much so that he almost forgets about what’s happening to himself. “You’re alive.”

“So are you.”

Not for long. Heiji lets out a pained chuckle, “I have a favor to ask you.”

•

This is as normal as it gets. Sitting on the couch, watching the same cartoon episode they’ve already watched last week and the week before, eating the food that Kazuha prepared. She rests her head on his shoulder, and he has his arm around her, taking in every last moment he gets to have. In another life, this would still be them on weekends, minus the wandering zombies outside, maybe plus one little boy or two in the near future. Or girls, Heiji doesn't really care.

The thought of Kazuha with adorable children of their own makes Heiji smile, although it's hardly the appropriate time for that. He should tell her soon. It's not fair for either of them, but at least it would be safer for her if he tells her. He should tell her soon.

Not just yet.

Heiji lifts his head and kisses Kazuha on her forehead, earning him an amused look from the girl. "What was that for?" she asks, obviously pleased.

Heiji shrugs, not wanting to say anything because God knows how bad he sounds right now, hours since then. He recalls everything Kazuha has done for him—helping him with their parents’ bodies, kissing and holding him to sleep when the nightmares get overwhelming—she’s always there by him no matter how bleak the situation they’re in. Heiji smiles at her, half wishing he has said I love you at least once, because that's how he feels. Now it's all too late, and even if he tries to say the words, the voice won't be his own. But still, thank you, he mouths, thank you for everything.

Kazuha doesn't answer. So he leans down to capture her lips with his. It burns and it stings, but the way his heart shatters hurts him the most. As the kiss deepens, he finds himself wanting to bite on her lips, but then a small voice in his head asks which part of him the urge comes from. His fear for Kazuha's life is what makes him push her away. Before she realizes what’s going on, he is already up, running away from her and locking himself behind the glass door.

"Wha—Heiji?" Kazuha has finally caught up with him and finds him inside the confinement room. Heiji watches as she searches his face and slowly understands what's happening. Her expression falters into something he has only seen once on her face before—an overwhelming mix of shock, sadness, and utter devastation. That time, Heiji got to her too little too late. She had had to put her father down, and Heiji promised himself that he would never ever let her go through it again. Look how that turned out, he bitterly laughs. He wishes he hadn't caused her such pain, but what is there for him to do?

"I'm sorry," Heiji manages to croak out in an unfamiliar voice. His pupils are probably almost fully diluted, now. Despite his hazy eyes, he can see the skin on the tips of his fingers perishing. He's already half dead, but maybe he still has a few more hours of being conscious. Before then, he has to convince and make sure Kazuha kills him—otherwise he doesn't know what he's capable of doing to her. "This sucks."

Kazuha still stares at him in a daze, her jaw hanging loosely as she steps forward to lean on the door. "How?" she asks finally with a strained voice. She sinks down to the floor, her knees banging against the tiles in a way that will surely leave bruises. She doesn’t seem to realize, or mind.

"How?" she repeats in a whisper Heiji can barely hear, because he is thumping his head again and again to the glass surface separating the two of them.

Despite the ache in his chest, Heiji grins weakly. He can feel parts of himself slipping away and it gets harder to stop his hands from jerking, to stop himself from peeling skin off of his body. His vision is stained with grey and yellow and red, and Kazuha will probably look like nothing but a lump of meat by the time he is taken over completely.

"Kazuha?" he calls with the last bits of his consciousness. He just wants her to know that he's still there. He just wants her to know that even in his current state, she is in the only thing on his mind.

In between silent sobs, she answers, "Heiji." She is struggling to get words out. Heiji stays quiet as she weeps, palms pressed on the door. She gasps for air and tilts her head up to stop her tears. She turns to face him, questioning with an unsteady voice, "Heiji, what are we going to do?"

He quirks one eyebrow up as an answer, as if saying Ahou, you know what to do. Kazuha stares at him desperately, as if begging Don't you dare make me do it.

"You have to," Heiji croaks, again with the foreign voice that is now his. It's so hard to breathe right now, and he isn't sure if it's the aftereffect of the infection or the sight of a broken Kazuha in front of him. "Please," he adds when she doesn't answer. Would it be easier for her if he kills himself? Like Ran did? It’s no use now, all their weapons are outside of the room. Heiji can’t risk opening the glass door at this stage.

Kazuha presses her forehead on the glass door. "How long do we have?" she asks, searching his face. He wonders how bad he looks right now—he knows some of the skin on his face has already peeled off, maybe his flesh is even showing. He knows his eyes are supposed to be clouded all over now, some parts of his face probably ashy and decaying already. He doesn't want her to look at his face anymore.

"Heiji," She repeats in a much softer voice when he turns to the other side of the room with his back facing her. "Let me look at you, please."

No, he wants to yell. She still wakes up screaming with nightmares of her father. He doesn’t want to be in her worst nightmare.

"You have to kill me," Heiji begs. "Right now."

There's a button on the side of the glass door. All Kazuha has to do is press it, and in ten seconds the door will open, and she has a split second to pull the trigger before the monster inside Heiji prances forward to kill her. There is a shotgun right there behind the vase. There's also a revolver in the top drawer. It's so easy to end all of this. He really wants it to be over—what's the use of having Kazuha so close if he doesn't get to touch her? What's the use if he has no power to tell him how much he wishes things were different, how much he wishes they could be together?

"Let me have you for another hour," she pleads helplessly. He remembers his parents, her father, even Ran, and prays that Kazuha is strong enough to move on alone. Heiji frantically starts writing down letters on the floor, a message for when Kazuha loses him, his last words written with his blood.

When he's done, he nods to her. At the rate his whole body is spasming, he knows he won't be able to hold on for another hour, but he'll let her get everything she wants for now. Like he always has. He’ll let her prepare herself before having to kill him.

"This is so unfair," Kazuha sobs, “I can’t kill you too.” She leans on the door so closely like she wants to go past it and get next to him, but he is thankful that she can't. He doesn't know what he'll do if she is within touching distance. "I don't know what to do, Heiji, I really don't know what to do."

He doesn't know either. He really wishes things could be different but here he is, decaying by the minute, slowly giving way for a monster to occupy his body. Kazuha looks like she's willing himself not to cry, and Heiji wonders how much pain he's causing her this time. All he does is hurt her. She never looks away, as if it’s the only way she could hear what he is thinking. "I don't know what I'm going to do without you."

"Have to,”—groan—”live,” is all Heiji can bring himself into saying through gritted teeth. She will be all alone, but she will make it. If only he had the strength and mind power to, he would have added please, Kazuha, you have to survive this.

There is a sob-filled pause, until, "I will," Kazuha answers weakly, smiling a little. "I will." Heiji feels relieved at her promise. He knows she’s strong enough.

He nods as many times as he physically can and presses his palm against hers, albeit with the thick glass separating them. He would do anything to hold her again. All he can do is grin at her and try his hardest to ignore the pain.

Maybe Heiji really doesn't have much time at all. He is starting to lose control of his body and his eyes open wide, his vision covered in a blur of reddish grey. He punches the glass, trying to break free, trying to get on the other side. The monster inside is taking over—Kazuha has to do it right now.

"Heiji?" Kazuha sounds hesitant as she calls his name. I'm still here, Kazuha, Heiji wants to say. But it's too hard right now, he's too weak and something else inside him is taking over.

Heiji has killed more than enough of those monsters in his lifetime, some he doesn't know at all, some he knows way too well. Now Heiji learns that the hardest one to kill is the one inside your own body. "I can’t—" He croaks with all the strength he can muster. "—anymore—kill me."

Kazuha is stepping back from where she is seated near the door, with one hand covering her mouth, and even with all the haze covering his line of sight, Heiji can tell that she is crying even louder than before. I'm sorry for making you do this, he wants to tell her, I'm sorry for leaving you alone. But there's not enough of him left in this body. He feels himself taking steps backwards, getting ready to ram through the door.

Bam. He slams his body to the thick glass that doesn't budge. Bam. He feels a searing pain in his shoulders. Bam. She is holding the shotgun in one hand. You can do it, Heiji thinks, Goodbye, Kazuha. He can't see where the blur ends and where the red starts. Bam. By now, his urge to prance on her is as strong as his will to say I love you.

He can hear a low sound of countdown—ten... nine—she has pressed the button, now. He'll be gone in mere seconds.

Three, two, one.

Gunshots sound the same whether you're behind or in front of the gun, Heiji learns. A sharp pain hits the center of his head, burning, stinging.

All the red in his eyes diffuses into black.

•

Inside the house that they managed to break into and settle in, there is a room with a thick glass door. Kazuha has cleared the room after the body of what used to be Heiji started to smell. She has gotten so used to the stench of the dead, but she knows she has to treat him with more grace and respect. That might not be Heiji any longer, but he was fighting until the very end.

It gets lonely, living in a world where everyone else is dead.

Sometimes Kazuha wants to join Heiji and her father and her friends in the afterlife, assuming such a place exists for people who died the way they did. Sometimes Kazuha goes for days without eating, because she barely feels anything, maybe her body is broken. Sometimes Kazuha gets tired of falling to no end, and her thoughts go to the revolver in the drawer, or the shotgun behind the vase. When it happens, she enters the room with a thick glass door, sits down and stares at the floor, reading the words written in the last drops of Heiji's blood out loud.

Live, Kazuha. You said the whole thing will pass.

#Heiji x Kazuha #Hattori Heiji #Toyama Kazuha #Detective Conan #DCMK #zombie!au #hi hello im sorry for being cruel :(#i hope this is less horrifying #y'all know i cannot NOT write my boi Heiji #I'm so sorry Kazuha u beautiful soul #i still love you two to death #also there's so much pain and deaths in The Walking Dead and I think that's how it's supposed to be in a zombiepocalypse

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wolfram-kun · 4 years

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hi, just found your blog and ive been thinking for a while now that Conan and Haibara would make so much more sense, since what's the chance of that drug shrinking you instead of killing and hows the chances that you find a 100% cure for it. (plus shinichi already weakened it due to constant transformations which leads him to build resistance) anyways. I enjoy your CoAi pictures :) I want to see them grow up together after realizing he cant go back and make peace/stay friends with Ran instead.

Hi, there and thanks for passing by. Hm, so, you write some interesting things but I’m having trouble understanding the way they are phrased^^u

Let me see, you’re saying that Conan x Haibara getting together makes sense because they suffered the APTX’s same side effects? If that’s the case, I can see your point, after all, early on during her introduction, Haibara’s thought of Conan as a kindred soul because of their similar situation.

As for me, I do believe their shared predicament served to build a bond between them (initially) but currently I don’t see it as the ‘sole’ reason for wanting them to get together. There’s no denying, more often than not, they’re on the same wavelength, throwing most other characters for a loop ‒ people around them used to point out how both ‘kids’ seemed to exist in their own little world when interacting with one another.

Now, although Shinichi’s frequent not that frequent usage of short-lived antidotes could end up in it no longer working hence he could ended up stuck as Conan forever, I don’t think that’s ever going to happen.

But why should that be a bad thing? For CoAi shippers, I mean.

If you want my opinion, the way I see it, Conan and Haibara are already growing up together. Neither of them is the same person they were previous to taking the APTX. Each of them has changed and matured vastly compared to how they used to be. In Habara’s case, to some extent, this is because of Conan.

‒ Oh, and thank you for liking my “pictures”. It makes me happy knowing that others enjoy them :D ‒

So, from what I gather here and there, the common trend seems to be that Shinichi and Shiho would most likely end up together only and if they were to stay as Conan and Haibara, respectively. Well, if that’s how people feel, I’m not going to argue. That IS the only way they’ve been known to interact as, after all. I, for one, do want them to return to their bodies and still be together.

I could write an entire essay on that but this reply is already long as it is XD

#kattakana #Wolframkotae #coai #shinshi

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detectiveran · 4 years

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#136 for the Christmas prompts with shinran maybe? I love your writings 😍💖

Thanks for the prompt, anon! Also, thank you for loving my writings, it means a lot! 💜 Here’s the list of prompts I took this from. If you want to support me, you can buy me a Coffee!

Shinichi was a romantic at heart. As much as he could go on and on about cases, logic and Sherlock Holmes, he knew that when it came to the matters of heart, he would go with what he felt rather that what he thought.

So, it wasn’t a surprise that when Christmas came around and a brand new girlfriend in the form of Ran Mouri by his side, he would want to go on a date. A very romantic date if everything would go according to his plans. He knew that past few Christmases has been awful for Ran while she waited for Shinichi to come back, so he wanted her to have the best Christmas she ever had.

But things came to a standstill on the first step of his plan, which was him asking her out. To summarize, it went like this.

Shinichi, “Hey, Ran, are you free on Christmas day?”

Ran, “Sorry, Shinichi, I have a karate match that day.”

Shinichi deflated like a balloon on the spot. He was so looking forward to taking out Ran on that day. But well, it couldn’t be helped. When Christmas day arrived, while Shinichi had hoped that they would spend the day leisurely and have a romantic dinner in the evening, he was actually busy cheering his girlfriend. He couldn’t say the day was a waste though, because celebratory make outs were a big plus in his book.

But he got a response of ‘no’ and ‘Mom and Dad are going out to celebrate New Year’s and I have to make sure that they remain civil to each other’ when he asked her out for the New Year’s bash that the MPD had invited him, he just stared at Ran. He stared at her the whole day, silently wishing for her to change her mind.

Ran knew Shinichi was boring holes into her skull. To be honest, she did want to go out with him on New Year’s but her parents had taken the first step in inviting the other out in god knows how long and she didn’t want her father to mess this date up, which he inevitably would. She needed to be there so that she could act as a mediator.

She sighed, wishing she could go with Shinichi but also wishing for her parents to get themselves together and be together. “Stop staring at me, Shinichi. I’m sorry but you know how much of a rare chance it is for them to be civil to each other. If I’m not with them, they’ll fight a 100%, you know that.”

Shinichi didn’t say a word and just continued staring at her.

Ran was getting a little amused though. Was this some sort of intimidation technique? Too bad though, she loved his eyes and he was being so adorable with his staring and the little pout.

She chuckled, “Seriously, staring at me won’t get me to be your New Year’s date.”

Shinichi didn’t say a word. He was too busy performing mental osmosis that could relay the thought of ‘Screw my parents, I should go with my boyfriend on New Year’s’ into Ran’s head. There was a saying about having conversations through eyes, right? Well, he was going to put that to use.

Ran, on the other hand, giggled and pinched his cheek, “Awww, you’re so adorable. I’m still not going out that day though.”

Well, that saying was utter nonsense if Ran’s reaction was to go by. So much for having conversation through eyes.

“But,” Shinichi perked up, “we can celebrate on New Year’s eve, yes?” Shinichi nodded his head, happy now that he would get to end the year with Ran.

“So, where do you plan to take me?” Ran asked.

Oh shoot, he needed a plan!

#anon #writing prompts #dcmk #detective conan #shinran #shinichi kudou #ran mouri #shinichi kudo #ran mori #my writing #hope you like it anon #bolded the prompt!

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gisachi · 4 years

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Pairing: ShinRan Rating: T Summary: "Warui, Ran. It's because of this summer heat, I swear -- It's making my head ache...and at that moment, I couldn't help but notice how kissable you were - even until now. Damnit."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

It was a hot, Wednesday afternoon. Summer had just kicked in and everyone in Teitan High School was already planning their summer vacation since school term was nearing its end. Meanwhile, four people remained stuck in the school library. Shinichi, Ran, Sera, and Sonoko went there after homeroom in order to help Shinichi with the lessons he had missed while he was away, plus the extra credits the teachers fortunately gave him to make up for his absence.

“Mou, I can’t believe we’re stuck in the library helping Shinichi with his extra credits! I should be planning our beach trips or watching Makoto-san’s karate training right at this moment!” Sonoko scoffed, obviously annoyed.

“Well, Ran-san did say that Kudo-kun is going to treat us to a delicious ramen shop after this so why not?” Sera casually remarked.

“C’mon guys, it won’t take a while since Shinichi’s already smart, so let’s just do our best so we can finish early!” Ran justified. It was actually her who convinced the two girls to help Shinichi catch up with his backlog. She believed it would be more enjoyable, not to mention faster, if there were four of them doing the work rather than just her and Shinichi. More importantly, she wanted Shinichi to finish all this work so that it wouldn’t have to carry over during summer break.

A sulking Shinichi let out a big sigh. “Ran, I told you that it’s fine, no need to drag the others to help me.”

“Shinichi, the more people I invite, the faster we finish. Besides, you should be thankful they’re helping you! Who’s fault is it again that he’s missed almost one semester worth of classes?” Ran looked at him with half-lidded eyes.

“Barou—It’s not like I have a choice! You—” Shinichi was interrupted by the cold stare of the librarian at him, who was already pointing to the ‘Silence Please’ sign plastered on the wall.

Sonoko and Sera stifled their laughter. “There, there, no need to fight over this! Why don’t you just make up?” Sera requested them in a low voice.

“Anything for my Shinichi-kuuuun~~~ Now kiss! No one’s looking except us!” Sonoko teased, making both Ran and Shinichi blush and Sera laugh.

It had been two months since Shinichi returned to Ran permanently. They started dating officially ever since Ran manifested her acceptance to Shinichi’s London confession during their school trip in Kyoto. And now that they’re together, Ran found it relieving how she didn’t need to deny her feelings anymore to her friends whenever they tease her. In fact, it made her really happy that she could now openly express her fondness for Shinichi. They would hold hands during their walk home from school. They had even kissed, thrice, technically. Once on the cheek during their Kyoto trip, and another on the lips, albeit accidentally, on one fine spring afternoon while sitting under the cherry blossoms, during lunch period, when Ran suddenly looked to her left while Shinichi’s face was close to hers because he was removing a sakura petal from her hair. Although their lips only momentarily brushed against each other, their hearts pounded the loudest. Even louder than the time they almost kissed on the lips at Kiyomizudera temple. After that accidental kiss, the two of them stared at each other, with flustered faces, and after five seconds, they laughed. After their laughs subsided, they eventually found themselves kissing once more, this time longer and sweeter, with smiles curling in their lips as they did. The latter kiss was what they considered as their first official kiss as a couple.

Back in the library, the four of them had already sorted out the Calculus, English, and Chemistry books Shinichi needed. Sera and Shinichi placed the stacks of books on their table across the librarian. It appeared that they were the only ones remaining there, and most of the students had already gone home or were attending their after-school club activities. Ran had no karate training every Wednesday, that’s why she chose this day to help Shinichi out. In reality though, Shinichi really didn’t need help given his extraordinary intellect, but nonetheless Ran still insisted, being the caring and responsible girlfriend that she was. Shinichi could only do nothing but accept her assistance.

Only a week had passed since summer began, yet the heat felt like it was almost at its peak. The intense warmth and humidity defeated the air conditioner and ceiling fans inside the room. Shinichi was trying to concentrate on the Calculus textbook in front of him, but Sonoko and Ran, who were sitting across each other, distracted him with their toned down voices. He wasn’t even trying to eavesdrop but their conversation was easy enough to hear from where he sat. They were basically just talking about random girl stuff. But among other things, Shinichi couldn’t help but notice how Ran incessantly fanned herself with her hands during the whole conversation.

“Must be the weather,” Shinichi thought. He tried rereading the problem set in front of him, but surprisingly, he had a hard time concentrating. He kept on glancing back to where Ran sat, which was beside him. Ran, with the back of her hand, began to wipe the drops of sweat forming on her neck and under her chin. To Shinichi, looking at Ran do that was a strangely… interesting sight. He didn’t know why. Not even attempting to find an answer, he just shrugged it off and resumed answering the Calculus textbook.

Barely twenty minutes later, he was already more than halfway done with the Math coverage. Of course, that’s just Shinichi being Shinichi. Ran scooted closer to check on his progress, and upon seeing that he was almost done, Ran ruffled his bangs in front.

“Good job, Meitantei-san!” Ran praised. Shinichi pretended that it didn’t affect him so he muttered a silent “tch” under his breath. Deep down though, he had to admit that his heart jumped a bit when Ran patted his head.

“After that, you do English. Sonoko and I already marked the pages you need to answer. And after English, you’ll do Chemistry. Sera-san’s marking the exercises right now,” Ran instructed, even though she was desperately trying her best not to sound like a teacher or else Shinichi would make fun of her.

“Hai, hai, sensei,” Shinichi snorted. Too bad he already did, much to Ran’s annoyance.

Not long after, Shinichi finished all the assigned exercises for Math. Just as he was about to get the English book placed by Ran near his seat, Ran halted him.

“Hold on, I think I made a mistake, Shinichi. This English book is the wrong volume. I need to find the correct one. Let me just go look for it.”

“All right, I’ll help you,” Shinichi remarked. This earned him a smile and a thank you from Ran.

Shinichi stood up, stretched his arms and back, and accompanied his girlfriend to the shelves area to look for the correct book. Ran started browsing the area behind the first shelf, so Shinichi went to the row of shelves after it. Upon reaching that area, he noticed that this portion of the room was warmer than where the tables were. Apparently, the air conditioning unit on this side of the room was broken, so it wasn’t really doing anything except making Shinichi even more pissed. Shinichi was already hating this summer heat. He couldn’t wait to go home, turn the AC on in his own library, and read Sherlock Holmes for the nth time to his heart’s content. But for now, he had no choice but to tolerate this inferno. Ran wouldn’t let the four of them go unless he’d finish half of his total backlog today.

Ran was already done searching the first row of shelves, so she proceed to the next row where Shinichi was currently at. Ran was at the farther end of the shelf near the windows overlooking the school field, while Shinichi remained on the left end side nearer the library card catalog. They were two bookshelves away from the table occupied by Sonoko and Sera. Shinichi could see the two girls from the spaces left by the uneven height of the books on the shelves. Both of them seem to be minding their own business. Books and bags were scattered on the table. Sera was now concentrating on a mystery novel she found earlier, while Sonoko had her attention on her phone and was browsing social media.

Upon reaching the second aisle and before Ran resumed her search, she asked Shinichi if he had already found the book, to which the boy replied in the negative. Ran sighed, and eventually she transferred her attention to the lineup of books in front of her. Shinichi looked at her from afar.

Even from a distance of three shelves away, Shinichi noticed that Ran was also starting to get irked by the hot temperature. Her eyebrows were furrowed and her mouth formed a small frown. He also couldn’t avoid noticing the moisture formulating on the side of her face. Shinichi stared at the sweat which trickled down Ran’s forehead. The sweat traced a line down her cheek, then her jaw, then down her neck until it settled on the crook of her collarbone…

Shinichi gulped.

He didn’t notice how long he had been staring until Ran called his name.

“Shinichi? Are you okay?” Ran quizzically looked at Shinichi with her ever innocent eyes.

“O-oh, sorry, I just spaced out…” Shinichi struggled to look for an excuse and tried to hide the flustered look on his face. Of course he couldn’t possibly say that he was admiring her face, and how… appealing it looks, even more with sweat running down on it!

“Ugh, damn this heat. It’s making me sweat a lot.” Ran sighed as she struggled to remove her blazer uniform, thereby leaving her with her white long sleeve shirt and green tie. This caught Shinichi off guard, who found himself staring again.

Shinichi could see that the sweat made Ran’s white shirt semi-opaque. He could almost make out of it the straps and corners of her bra. Ran unbuttoned the two top buttons of her shirt to reveal more of her skin but still careful not to expose what’s beneath it further. Ran just wanted some air amidst the scorching heat. Yet no matter how innocent her intentions were, to Shinichi’s mind, he knew for sure that Ran’s acts were making him feel some type of way.

“Damn right it is…” Shinichi muttered under his breath, earning him a curious stare from Ran.

Ran seemed like she was about to say something but then decided against it on the last minute. She shrugged, placed her uniform on one of the stepladders piled with books, and finally resumed her business at the other end of the bookshelf by the window, trying to find the book she needed.

Meanwhile, Shinichi stood there and was already mentally cursing himself. “Goddamnit, Kudou! Get your shit together! You’re looking like a pervert right now ogling at her like this!” Shinichi ruffled his hair trying to shake off all the provocative things swarming his mind. This is not the right time, damn it. Not the right time… but was it just his imagination that from his peripheral view, he could see Ran glancing at his direction? Was it just his imagination that Ran’s face showed hints of red? Was it just the sun that’s making her face look even more rosy and beautiful, even when he’s just seeing all of these from the corner of his eye?

Shinichi finally decided to take a good look at Ran. He was surprised to see that indeed, Ran was staring back at him. With red cheeks and pleading eyes. Almost as if she was wanting Shinichi to say something, or do something. Or…

“Ran? Is something the matter?” Shinichi finally spoke.

“Ah—Well, I, umm…I can’t quite reach this book on the top shelf…” Ran shyly cooed, pointing at the thick book on top of the shelf, entitled HS Intermediate English: Volume 3.

“There’s a stepladder beside you, you know,” Shinichi remarked.

“But it’s filled with books and it might take time to remove all and place them back right after,” Ran pouted. Seeming to have regretted her request, she followed up, “…But oh well, I’ll just do it myself.”

Shinichi chuckled softly. “Just kidding. Here, let me get it for you.”

Shinichi approached Ran until they were only about 10 centimeters apart. Ran could almost feel her heart jump out of her chest as Shinichi rested his left arm on her left shoulder, so that she was between Shinichi and the bookshelf. Shinichi’s face was so close to Ran’s right cheek and she swore that this distance was making her feel things out of the ordinary. Shinichi tiptoed a little and extended his right arm to reach the book on top of the shelf. Ran looked up to glance at Shinichi’s face, and she was not quite sure if what she saw was a blushing Shinichi, or a Shinichi whose face reflected the red shades of the sun. She also noticed that Shinichi was perspiring. Unlike her, he still had his thick blue school blazer on, and Ran thought that it must be why Shinichi was sweating so much. The summer heat was really taking a toll on them.

Shinichi finally got the book and as he was about to hand it to her, he froze.

Without warning, Ran’s hand unconsciously moved to unbutton Shinichi’s blazer. Slowly. One button at a time.

Wide-eyed Shinichi stared at oblivious Ran.

Silence.

…

“Omae—” Shinichi really didn’t know what to say. His face was already as red as a tomato at this point.

Ran didn’t realize the gravity of her actions until she noticed her hands in front of her, almost done unbuttoning the whole of Shinichi’s school blazer. She flushed.

“Wah—“

Now Ran didn’t know what to say either.

“I’m– I’m sorry, I just saw how drenched you were in sweat while you were getting the book, so I wanted to remove your blazer to cool you do—”

Ran didn’t finish her sentence as she was interrupted by Shinichi’s one hand on her left wrist and the other on the back of her waist, pulling her close to press his lips against hers.

Ran’s heart leaped.

“Shinichi—what on earth…!”

Her brain was screaming for her heart. Shinichi was right in front of her, and his lips were covering hers.

She tried to steady her footing as she was about to lose her balance, but then Shinichi’s hand behind her supported her and helped her adjust her position, and this pushed her even closer to him, removing any inch of space left.

Just as she was about to completely process what was happening and before she could close her already half-opened eyes to reciprocate, she heard a voice at the other end of the room.

“Hey, Ran-san and Kudo-kun? Daijoubu? What’s that loud sound?” Sera whispered loudly from her chair, so as not to irk the librarian more than that how loud sound already did.

Alarmed, the two teenagers broke off the kiss. Shinichi didn’t even notice that he dropped the book Ran asked him to get and that it made a loud, echoing noise on the marble floor of the silent library. He didn’t notice how he dropped it before his own hands instinctively pulled Ran to him.

“N-nothing! Shinichi just dropped a book…” a nervous Ran replied, bobbing her head from behind the bookshelves to see Sera. She was evidently trying her best to sound normal, and luckily, Sera didn’t notice anything suspicious from her voice. From the spaces in the bookshelves, Shinichi and Ran had a good view of the table, and there they could see Sera’s dismissive expression as she went back to the book she was reading.

Little did Sera know that from behind these bookshelves, Ran and Shinichi were struggling to regain their composure from what literally transpired just one minute ago. Shinichi had already removed his hands from Ran’s waist and wrist, and was now facing the wall on the other side, hiding his embarrassment. Shinichi had his head bowed, his right hand scratching his nape and his left hand on his waist. Was he regretting what he did…? Ran thought to herself.

While Ran was lost in thought, she and Shinichi were again startled by Sera’s voice. Although a bit soft, it was audible from two shelves away. “Ran-san, I’ll just go to the toilet for a while. Sonoko-san stepped out of the library a minute ago to receive a call from Makoto-san, and I don’t think she’ll be back soon. Telling you this just in case you’d wonder where we went! Of course, we’re not going to ditch you and Kudo-kun’s treat later!”

Sera paused for a moment, and then added, “…Damn this summer, isn’t it so hot?” before she finally marched away from the two reddened couple.

Sera had noooo idea.

Ran’s attention went back to the guy in front of him, who was now half-facing her although his eyes were still directed to the bookshelf. Now, save for the librarian, it’s just the two of them in the library. They could hear loudly the sound of the ceiling fan and the distant noise of students playing soccer outside.

“Sorry, Ran, my bad…” Shinichi finally spoke his first words.

Ran gave Shinichi a relatively long, questioning look before she replied. “Shinichi… what for?”

“…Eh?” Shinichi might not have expected that kind of reply from her. He was expecting more of along the lines of “Shinichi, what did you just do??” or “Baka Shinichi!!” Yet, Ran didn’t. So he just stood there, looking at her, with one eyebrow raised, and very much confused.

“Ha-ha-ha. This clueless, idiot boyfriend,” Ran sighed and her expression softened. She couldn’t contain herself so she let a cute giggle escape from her lips. Ran inched closer to him. Shinichi did as well.

“You’re not mad…?” Shinichi asked.

Ran inhaled deeply before answering. “I mean… we’re already dating, so isn’t it pretty normal to kiss like lovers do?” she said, tilting her head to the side. Shinichi blushed at his girlfriend’s statement.

“It’s just that… given the sequence of events, I got startled with what I did… I’m sorry, I mean…you were just so close to me getting that book and I noticed your sweat trickling down your face, so I wanted to help by unbuttoning your uniform… but I did it without any warning… and then what you did after…you kissed me… inside the library, a public place with the possibility that other people might see…and then I actually thought Sera-san saw us so I quickly pushed you back…” Ran stammered, her face getting one shade redder upon remembering what just happened.

This time, Shinichi was the one trying to contain his grin. “Warui, Ran… It’s because of this summer heat, I swear… It’s making my head ache…and at that moment, I couldn’t help but notice how kissable you were… even until now. Damnit.”

When he said that, Shinichi’s eyes landed on Ran’s lips, but then he quickly managed to look at someplace else like the shelf before Ran could even realize where he was actually staring.

Again, silence.

Shinichi glanced back at Ran. Ran stared back, never removing her eyes away from him. This time, Shinichi was absolutely sure that Ran was indeed blushing. And he could feel himself blushing, too.

Tension filled the air as the two teenagers closed their distance even more.

Ran broke the silence first. “…Shinichi, look at your sweat! Wait, let me get my handkerchief.” She rushed to her blazer resting on top of the stepladder and pulled out a handkerchief from its pocket. She walked back to Shinichi and started wiping the sweat from his forehead.

Ran and Shinichi were aware of the close proximity of their faces. Ran was holding Shinichi’s arm and the other was holding the handkerchief. Shinichi stared at Ran while the latter wiped the sweat dripping down the side of his face. Ran was staring, too, simultaneously at the spot she was wiping and then at his hazel eyes. The look in his eyes was something she had never seen before, and she could feel it bear a hole on her own. It was enthralling. Some kind of energy was building up in between their gaze, and they could very much feel it within them.

Not daring to break their eye contact, Shinichi removed the already unbuttoned blazer from his body. Ran couldn’t help but steal a glance at his white polo shirt, some of its fabric sticking to his skin because of the sweat, and she unconsciously bit her lip when she saw some of his toned muscles through them.

Shinichi carelessly let his blazer fall to the floor.

“It’s getting hotter, so…” Shinichi muttered, his face inching closer to Ran’s.

“Yeah…” whispered Ran under her breath, tilting her head up slowly to meet Shinichi’s.

For the second time of the day, their lips locked perfectly. Ran let go of the handkerchief, and that free hand had now snaked its way behind Shinichi’s neck while her other arm was on his chest. Shinichi’s hands gripped Ran’s waist gently. They were such an exquisite fit. Save for the white noise in the library, their heartbeats merging were the only sound they could hear. Slowly, their lips started moving, careful not to make very loud kisses in case anyone was within hearing range.

Ran slightly opened her mouth to breathe, and this gave Shinichi the opportunity to put his tongue inside it. Ran moaned at such foreign feeling. It startled her and made her knees weak. Never did it occur to her that Shinichi could be this bold. As if competing with her boyfriend, Ran did the same to him, and she felt her boyfriend’s hair stood at its end. They let their tongues linger in each other’s mouths, familiarizing themselves with each other’s taste. The hand at the back of Shinichi’s neck was now buried on the latter’s hair, massaging it rhythmically in accordance with their kisses. This kiss was strangely satisfying and entirely different from the first one they shared under the sakura tree. That one was shy and sweet. This one was daring and fierce.

Ran didn’t realize until two minutes into their heated exchange that Shinichi had already trapped her between him and the bookshelf. Shinichi’s arm was resting against the shelf while his right hand was still on his girlfriend’s waist. Shinichi was holding her so possessively now that Ran was pretty sure his fingers would leave a mark on her back. Both of Ran’s hands had already cupped Shinichi’s face, giving her the control of how deeper she’d want their kiss to be. Shinichi let out a gasp when Ran bit the bottom of his lips playfully. He paused, looked at Ran, whose eyes remained semi-closed from being drunk in their passionate lip-locking session. Shinichi smirked at such sight before he claimed her lips again.

Kudou Shinichi and Mouri Ran, hidden in between the tall shelves of the library of Teitan High School, kissing. No, making out. If someone found out about this, they’d be the talk of the whole school for months. Their classmates wouldn’t let this go for sure. Shinichi could just imagine the faces their classmates would make and the incriminating questions that would follow.

But for some reason, right now, Shinichi didn’t seem to care. Neither did he want to stop. And looking at Ran… it seemed…she didn’t want to stop, too?

“Shinichi… we have roughly five minutes…until they return…” Ran purred in between the short breaths from their kisses. Shinichi just let out a gruntled “nn” and a slight nod from his head, still engaged in their lip-locking session.

“Shinichi…did you hear m—” Ran didn’t finish her sentence because she was interrupted by Shinichi biting her left ear. She almost made a loud sound, but Shinichi was able to suppress it with two fingers over her lips. Shinichi then leaned close to her ear, making Ran shiver. In a low voice, he said, “Yes, Ran, I heard you…That’s why let’s make those five minutes count.”

Shinichi this time traced butterfly kisses on Ran’s cheek, chin, jaw, and corners of her lips, until he went lower. Ran tilted her head to the right to give him more access to her neck. She didn’t know anymore if the sweat on her neck was because of the summer heat, or because of their activity, or both. While keeping himself busy planting kisses on the spot between Ran’s neck and shoulder, Ran instinctively put one leg around Shinichi, making Shinichi jolt. He actually felt something below him rise. This cause Shinichi to suck on Ran’s neck hard, leaving a mark on her skin. Ran, on the other hand, gasped at the sensation. Shinichi licked it to appease her, and Ran moaned. They were having too much fun. This was all new to Ran, and she knew that this was new to Shinichi, too. She decided to tease him a little more by moving the leg wrapped around Shinichi higher. She was able to elicit an airy groan from him, and Ran sneered in satisfaction. Once again, they captured each other’s lips, this time, hungrily. Ran could almost taste her own sweat from Shinichi’s tongue. Shinichi’s kiss was driving her to the edge. Not long after, Ran felt Shinichi’s hand fumbling its way inside her shirt. His touch was cold on her skin, a stark contrast with the warmth of the season. His hand settled at the bottom of her torso.

Ran got nervous. She knew in her mind that this was all too sudden, and her heart was racing so fast that she felt like it was going to burst any second. But when she semi-opened her eyes during their session to steal a glance at Shinichi, what she saw almost drove her to the brink of madness. He was sweating, the beads of sweat intensely rolling down his forehead. His eyes were closed, but even if it was, she could sense the desire emanating from him while he kissed her hard. In the moments where they would briefly separate to breathe, she could see his moist, red lips, a little bit swollen from her playful bites. The strands standing out from his hair already messy from her grasp reflected the sunset’s orange hues. And his lean body was so tightly pressed against her, giving her more than just butterflies. Shinichi was hot. And this caused her to feel a strange, warm sensation building below her stomach. She couldn’t believe she was really doing this with Kudou Shinichi, her childhood friend turned boyfriend. The mystery freak who only seemed to care about solving crimes and catching culprits was right here in front of her, with his guard down like a normal teenager, his hair and clothes in disarray, savoring the moment and not minding anything else as he made out with the only girl who could turn him like this.

Seeing her boyfriend in that state made the room hotter than it already was. And it was turning her on so freaking much, especially when she knew it was no other than her, Mouri Ran, who was causing him to be this way.

Shinichi slightly tugged the hem of Ran’s shirt. By this time, her white polo shirt was not anymore tucked inside her skirt. Ran’s brain had already given up control over her faculties, and her hands now had a mind of its own. One hand grabbed Shinichi’s hand touching her back, in order to guide it to her front. At first, Ran felt Shinichi’s hand hesitate under her own from this sudden bold gesture on her part, but eventually he complied. Now, Shinichi’s hand was settling on the side of her stomach. With every kiss, tilt of head, and gasp for air, his hand would travel her delicate skin half a centimeter north.

Shinichi continued moving his hand upwards, massaging Ran’s skin until he felt something lacy at the tip of his thumb. He clearly recognized what it was. Slowly, he opened his eyes to look at the girl breathing heavily in front of him. Without saying anything, he stared at her eyes pleadingly, raised his eyebrows with a matching bob of the head, as if requesting for her permission to continue. With her half-opened mouth and impious gaze, Ran nodded faintly, and with this, he fully understood that she meant it was okay to proceed.

And so he did.

Still maintaining their ardent eye to eye contact, he snaked his hand inside the lacy fabric…slowly….

Until they heard footsteps and humming faintly approaching.

One.

Two.

Three.

It took three seconds for them to finally realize everything.

Crap! That’s Sonoko!

The eyes of the two, which were filled with desire seconds ago, now mutually screamed panic. They had no excuse if someone, moreso Sonoko, saw them like this. With their appearance – Shinichi’s disheveled hair and swollen lips, his blazer scattered on the floor, Ran’s wrinkled and untucked shirt, and that fresh bite mark near her collarbone – Sonoko would obviously know what’s up. Ran, in that moment, wished she could teleport to the bathroom and hide in one of the stalls to fix herself. But she had no time to make such wishful thinking. She needed to fix herself fast or else Sonoko would witness them in this awkward situation. As swift as the wind, Shinichi withdrew his hand from under Ran’s shirt, released the trapped Ran, and backed two steps away from her. He hastily combed his hair with his fingers using the reflection of the window beside him as his mirror. Ran, on the other hand, frantically smoothed out her creased white shirt and tucked its hem under her skirt. Thankfully, the mark Shinichi left on her neck could be covered by her school uniform if fully buttoned. Afterwards, Ran repeatedly slapped her cheeks with her two hands in attempt to regulate her breathing and regain her composure. At that time, Shinichi had already fixed himself and was wearing his blazer once more. He picked up the English book and the handkerchief on the ground, then tiptoed to Ran to hand her the latter. Shinichi smiled and gave her a quick forehead kiss before finally walking out to greet their other friend. Funny how they did all of this in ten seconds or less.

Shinichi emerged first before Sonoko could even reach the aisle where the two hid. Carrying with him the English book, he greeted Sonoko as casually as possible. He didn’t look her in the eye. He just wanted to reach their table before their friend could make sense out of his flushed cheeks and plumper lips. When he passed by Sonoko, he lowered his head a little, licked his lips and pursed it together in order to conceal any hints of his previous, erm, activity with Ran.

Upon reaching his seat, Shinichi took a deep breath, stared into space for a few seconds, then turned his gaze to the direction of the shelves. Sonoko’s attention was already on Ran, who had emerged from the shelves shortly after he did. The two girls stood at the edge of the row of shelves near the card catalog, and Sonoko was gleefully narrating something to Ran, but Shinichi couldn’t understand what it was. However, he believed it was safe to assume that Sonoko had no slightest clue of what just happened, as she was so engrossed telling a story to Ran, who was only pretending to listen.

Shinichi’s eyes reverted to the shelves. He blinked.

“Over there, a while ago, Ran and I were…”

He stopped his thoughts and shut his eyes. He needed to get his shit back together and resume with his work. He hoped, though, that he would be able to concentrate.

Sighing one last time, he opened the textbook and began answering.

----

Shinichi finished both English and Chemistry exercises in half an hour. The sun had almost set and the sky had already turned wine red, signifying that it was almost evening. The temperature had now dropped a bit but nevertheless it was still warm. While Shinichi was focused on the exercises, Sera and Sonoko were busy chatting with each other, and at some point the librarian even approached them to shush them. But Ran, during the whole time, was just staring blankly at the pile of books in front of her, as if in a trance. Sera noticed her unusual silence, so she interrupted Sonoko’s talk and waved her hand in front of Ran’s face across the table to ask her what was wrong. With that, Ran snapped back to reality.

“It’s nothing, Sera-san!” she exclaimed. Sera wasn’t convinced, so Ran struggled to find an excuse. “Uh…I’m just hungry,” she retorted.

Sera took her answer well after noticing her own hunger herself. “Come to think of it, my stomach is rumbling, too. But I think Kudo-kun is already finished so we’re going to eat ramen soon!”

True enough, Shinichi had already stacked all textbooks together and had placed them in the returning rack while the three girls were conversing. This signaled the others to pack their stuff and clear the table. Slowly but surely, Shinichi walked towards Ran as she was closing her bag. Once he was beside her, he cleared his voice.

“You okay, Ran?” he asked.

Ran looked at him. Streaks of red color on their cheeks resurfaced.

“…Y-yes,” Ran responded shyly. Their gazes locked one more time. From each other’s eyes, they saw the events from earlier flash back.

Yet instead of looking away, they both smiled.

“Ooohh would you look at that! Ne, did something happen while I was away??” Sonoko suggestively raised her eyebrow at Ran and Shinichi.

“What are you talking about!” Ran defended as the four walked out the door. Sera and Sonoko continued to tease Ran while Shinichi kept a disinterested face behind them, but his blushing cheeks betrayed him.

After they stepped out of the room, the lone librarian stood up from her station and went to the door. Watching the group from a distance, she gave a particularly long look at the unsuspecting Shinichi and Ran. The corner of her lips tilted up to form a smirk, and she shook her head left and right as she observed the four students disappear into a corner at the end of the corridor.

“These young people…” she mumbled before closing the library door.

-END-

#this was my first fic #inspired by a ShinRan dream I had HAHAHAHA #im just a wannabe writer and nearly not as good as the writers here in tumblr or FFnet but #im tryin my best #so pls be kind im soft #leave a review if you like!#ShinRan #fanfic #detective conan

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lisatelramor · 4 years

Text

A Sip of Liquid Courage (No Way to Take it Back)

AN: In December I took a trope list and a random number generator and tried to make myself some short fic prompts. This is the result of one of them ^_^;;; Not quite my usual sort of fic setup, but it works!

***

Kudo Shinichi was not drunk. In fact, he was entirely sober. The funny thing about having a group of people try to kill you that went by alcohol names, it kind of put you off alcohol for life. Although watching Mouri Kogoro make a fool of himself over the years had kind of helped that aversion along. So no alcohol to numb him to the ridiculous behaviors of people around him at events.

Honestly he didn’t mind too much. It’s kind of fun to know what people are like under the influence if only for hypothetical blackmail information. But when he agreed to come with Hakuba to a forensics conference, he wasn’t really expecting them to get invited out for drinks, let alone at a club. Shinichi was a bit out of place.

Hakuba knew one of the younger officers that invited them. And Hakuba definitely wasn’t as uptight or shy with a drink or two in him.

At the moment, Hakuba was flushed-faced and grinning at something his friend was saying. The relaxed smile was a nice look on him. He actually looked his age.

The song playing changed and the person Hakuba was talking to let out a whoop and grabbed someone from the group to drag toward the dance floor. Left alone, Hakuba’s eyes skipped around the table and landed on Shinichi. His wide grin became a little less wide, but no less warm as he scooted closer.

“Didn’t know this was your kind of thing,” Shinichi said when Saguru was close enough that he’d be able to hear.

“It’s not really,” Saguru said, “but I have enough friends who like this sort of thing that I’ve grown used to it.”

For a man that was more than a bit tipsy, he was still very articulate. But not perfectly put together anymore—Hakuba had run a hand through his hair at one point and his shirt was a bit rumpled from brushing up against bodies to reach the bar. Shinichi offered him a smile. “So you don’t have a secret love for dirty dancing?”

Hakuba snorted. “Hardly. Although dancing in general is nice. Do you dance?”

“Not like that,” Shinichi said with a nod to the grinding going on at the edge of the dance floor.

“How about that?” Hakuba said, with a nod for the wilder waving of arms and shimmying bodies moving in and out of each other’s space.

“Never tried.”

“Care to try?” There was something flirtatious in the way Hakuba held out his hand and tilted his head to the side, something the edge of challenging too. Shinichi was probably reading too much into it. Hakuba was just drunk and enthusiastic.

The moving bodies on the dance floor weren’t very appealing, but the genuine invitation was, so Shinichi put his hand in Hakuba’s. “Sure. Why not?”

“Lovely.”

Hakuba swept Shinichi out of their booth and to the loud crush of the dance floor before Shinichi could register how warm Hakuba’s hand was. Hakuba danced like someone with formal lessons who’d decided to throw them out the window—good posture and sense of rhythm, careful awareness of a partner, but moving however felt right instead of to any pre-set choreography. Shinichi moved with him, a laugh startled out of him as Hakuba gave them a spin, a hand still holding Shinichi’s own.

Shinichi had no idea what the hell he was doing. He almost elbowed half a dozen people and stepped on Hakuba’s foot at least once. He should have felt too sober and self-conscious to do this, but it was actually kind of fun. The room had an energy to it. The music might be too loud and the people too close, but they moved like one organism with the beat of the music and it was its own kind of exhilarating to be caught in the middle of it. Plus it was kind of hard to be too self-conscious as Hakuba had completely lost any of that a while back. When everyone else was drunk, the sober party was the least ridiculous by default.

The song changed, and the beat surged faster. Shinichi found himself pressed closer to Hakuba in an effort to not get too close to strangers, and Hakuba didn’t seem to mind.

He had a hand on Shinichi’s hip, probably helping him balance, and when dancers crushed them closer still, Shinichi realized that Hakuba was a lot closer than he’d thought. He had a happy grin on his face and Shinichi suddenly wasn’t sure what he was feeling.

He tugged Hakuba’s shoulder, nodding off the dance floor.

Hakuba went willingly enough, not taking hands from Shinichi as they somehow ended up against a wall in the far end of the room, not near their table at all.

“A bit too many people,” Shinichi said, having to speak loud to be heard.

Hakuba nodded. “This is better. I’m glad you’re here.”

“Er. Yeah.” Shinichi realized Hakuba still had a hand on his hip. Usually Hakuba didn’t touch anyone more than needed.

“I wasn’t sure how you’d feel about going to the conference with me.” Hakuba tilted his head to the side and his body shifted a bit with it. Shinichi shot a hand out but it seemed that Hakuba wasn’t actually tipping over, just shifting on his feet. Shinichi kept a hand on his arm anyway just in case. “Kudo-san.” Hakuba looked him in the eyes suddenly serious.

“Uh, yes?”

“I’m glad to have you as a friend.”

“You too.” Shinichi hadn’t realized that Hakuba considered him a friend. They spoke when they crossed paths on cases or Kid heists, but this was the first time they’d ever done anything together deliberately.

“And I’m glad you’re here now.” Hakuba’s free hand landed on Shinichi’s shoulder.

“…Yeah.” This was getting a bit too…intense. And Hakuba leaned in closer. Shinichi could smell the alcohol on his breath. “Uh, Hakuba-san maybe you should—”

“I’m really glad,” Hakuba said like he hadn’t heard Shinichi start speaking at all. Shinichi lifted a hand to Hakuba’s shoulders to get a bit of distance, but the next moment Hakuba’s face was right in his and lips pressed against his, messy and a bit off center.

Any words he might have found died in his throat. What the hell.

“Mm.” Hakuba hummed against his lips. Tilted his head to try again.

Shinichi unfroze. “Wait wait wait wait.” He pushed Hakuba back and Hakuba let him, blinking at him in confusion. “Hakuba-san,” Shinichi said firmly. “You’re drunk.”

Hakuba blinked again. “A little bit, yes,” he said reasonably.

It shouldn’t have been endearing, but it was and Shinichi couldn’t even feel too bad about the situation. He patted Hakuba on the shoulder, hoping it came across as friendly but not so friendly that Hakuba was going to try and kiss him again. They kind of needed to have a sober conversation about this, which wasn’t going to happen tonight. “I think that it’s time to call it an evening.”

“Oh?” Hakuba looked hopeful.

Shinichi snorted despite himself. “Not that kind of evening.” He tugged on Saguru’s hand, stepping away. “Come on. Let’s get you back to the hotel and sobered up.”

“I don’t think I’d be able to be this forward sober,” Hakuba said, following along happily enough. He was a little unsteady, but not so bad that Shinichi thought he’d have to dive closer to keep him from falling flat on his face.

“And that’s exactly why we’re going to go sober you up.”

Hakuba was silent, turning that over in his mind with a slight frown on his face as Shinichi said goodbye to Hakuba’s friends. They were halfway into the walk to the hotel when Hakuba, probably starting to sober up said, “I made a grave mistake didn’t I?”

Shinichi glanced back to find Hakuba looking at Shinichi’s hand around his wrist, still guiding him on the off chance Hakuba decided to try doing something spontaneous and potentially dangerous the way drunk people could do. The frown had become full-fledged and troubled. It was so far away from the open grin earlier that Shinichi felt a pang of guilt. Looked like he’d kind of ruined Hakuba’s evening even if he didn’t mean to.

“I wouldn’t say a mistake,” Shinichi said carefully. “You’re just more impulsive right now.”

“I did make a mistake then,” Hakuba said with heavy certainty. “Damn.”

“Hakuba, it’s fine.”

Hakuba said nothing, just followed Shinichi back to the hotel room they’d booked for the conference and accepted the glass of water Shinichi got him from the bathroom tap.

“Want to talk about it?” Shinichi asked.

“I think I’m going to be very embarrassed in the morning,” Hakuba said in a detached way that said he wasn’t properly processing emotions now. A pause, then “Kuroba is going to mock me mercilessly for having a type.”

“Kuroba?”

“A…classmate? Friend? Enemy?” Hakuba squinted at the ceiling. “Past crush? Is it really past though…? It’s a bit like those relationship lists with a check-box for ‘it’s complicated’ or ‘all of the above’.”

“Right.” There was a lot Shinichi didn’t know about Hakuba, and who Kuroba was only comprised a small part of that. “Feeling a bit more sober?”

“Unfortunately. I always have hated the crash.” He drank half the glass of water in one go and wrinkled his nose at it. “It’s so nice not to overthink everything for a while.”

Well, Shinichi could empathize with that. “Finish the water and get some sleep, Hakuba-san and we can talk in the morning.”

“Must we?” Hakuba said with a sigh, then, “I don’t suppose I could get one more kiss for the night?”

“Ask me in the morning,” Shinichi said, finding himself meaning it. He didn’t really look to men, but really, outside of Ran he didn’t find himself attracted to people in general. If he let himself look at Hakuba that way, well, he wasn’t un-interesting.

Hakuba nodded and downed the rest of the water. “Right. Apologies in advance if I try to run in the morning.”

“You’re not going to now?”

“Oh, no. I’m much too tired and not nearly mortified enough yet.” Hakuba collapsed face first onto one of the two twin beds, not even bothering to take any clothing off or get under the covers. “Goodnight.”

Shinichi snorted when he started snoring softly a few moments later. He wasn’t really sure what to do with the situation, but he honestly did find Hakuba a friend, so this wasn’t something they couldn’t work out. Shinichi took off Hakuba’s shoes without him even twitching before going through his nightly routine and climbing into his own bed. It was pretty easy to fall asleep, all things considered.

o*O*o

Shinichi woke up to muffled swearing and Hakuba clutching a stubbed toe with his eyes squinted in the light-sensitive way people had when they were hung-over. “Are you running?” Shinichi asked sleepily.

Hakuba froze. “Kudo-san.”

Shinichi sat up and stretched. Hakuba’s eyes followed the motion like he couldn’t help it. He also looked like he was terrified what was going to come out of Shinichi’s mouth next. Well, that wouldn’t do. “I don’t suppose this hotel room has a coffee maker.”

“Er. I hadn’t looked for one.”

“Hmm. Well I need caffeine. If you’re not trying to run away, we can get breakfast and talk.”

Hakuba relaxed in degrees, lowering his foot back to the floor. “…I’d like that.”

“Great. I cleaned up last night, so the bathroom is all yours.”

“…Thank you.”

Hakuba all but ran, taking clean clothing with him.

There was a restaurant attached to the hotel, so that could be their next destination. Shinichi still didn’t feel uncomfortable with what happened last night. He’d kind of thought he would, but if anything he was a bit curious how far the faint interest he’d felt during that kiss went. And, well… He sighed internally. He wasn’t in a relationship right now considering things with Ran had been more than a bit tense after he came back from being Conan. No time like the present to explore the full spectrum of his sexuality.

o*O*o

Hakuba was quiet until halfway through his first cup of tea. Then he just looked nervous. Shinichi sipped coffee—and this was good coffee—and waited patiently for Hakuba to figure out what he wanted to say.

“So,” Hakuba said finally, once the pinched look of a hangover headache was starting to smooth away. “Apologies for last night. It appears that I let myself go a bit too much and ended up inconveniencing you. And. Taking liberties with your person.” Hakuba blushed, not looking quite in Shinichi’s direction. “I assure you that such a slip of propriety won’t happen again, and I hope it hasn’t caused you any reason to regret our friendship.”

Hakuba, Shinichi decided, was kind of cute when he was shy. Not as much as when he was smiling unreservedly, but it made him look vulnerable and approachable a lot more than his usual confidence did. Not that he necessarily found confidence unattractive. “You didn’t ruin anything,” Shinichi said. “And I’m not mad. I was a bit surprised, but nothing you did upset me.”

Hakuba’s eyes flicked up and away. “That isn’t how most people respond,” he said a bit ruefully. “I admit that I’d hoped you would be interested in return, and that I invited you to go to the conference for less than pure reasons, but I honestly only intended to find out whether or not you’d even consider being interested in men last night. It’s just that I was nervous and the last time I attempted to determine this sort of thing it wasn’t…”

Shinichi blinked. “Honestly you seemed really confident last night.”

“I wasn’t thinking,” Hakuba said. “I can get… tripped up by over analyzing and second guessing and a few drinks tends to turn that part of my mind off. Unfortunately, a few too many drinks and I end up overconfident and impulsive and prone to giving into whatever emotional whims I happen to feel.”

“So it was a whim?”

Hakuba still couldn’t look at him. “…Not entirely.”

“Hmm.” So in other words, Hakuba definitely thought of kissing him before that night, he just didn’t have the usual inhibitions not to. Shinichi sipped at his coffee. “Well, last night you were drunk enough that I definitely wasn’t going to respond. Just saying, a drink is one thing, but that much alcohol is a different story. Now that you’re sober…” Shinichi shrugged. “I’m honestly not sure how I feel, but you aren’t unattractive and I enjoy your company. I’d be up for trying that kiss again.”

Hakuba stopped trying to avoid looking at him and stared. “I… truly?”

Shinichi shrugged again. “In all honesty, I hadn’t kissed a man before last night or even thought of it, but it could have been a nice kiss under different circumstances, so…”

“Oh.” Hakuba blushed again, faint pink along his cheeks. “Oh.” The shy look vanished as a much more confident smile crossed his face. “Well, then I’d like that. I. Would you be interested in a date? A proper one, not just me inviting you to things and failing to reveal my motivations.”

“I’d like that.” Shinichi smiled back.

The rest of breakfast went smoothly, conversation switching over to their hobbies instead of the usual routes of crime and cases, last night’s dancing opening a new topic to know each other better. And at the end of it, once they were back in their hotel room gathering up their things to leave, Hakuba drew Shinichi into another kiss. A much more hesitant and shy kiss, but no worse than the first one.

And Shinichi kissed back.

#detective conan #fanfiction #shinichi/saguru #my writing

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kitsunelokiversali · 5 years

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Communiqué

Day 151 of 365 Writing Prompts:

I went rogue again and wrote more of my KaiShin Sea and Moon extras. Enjoy?

Fandom: DCMK

Pairing: Kuroba Kaito/Kudou Shinichi, KaiShin (Gen rating)

Extra to this series.

All their friends wonder how they met

It’s just about the best day Shinichi’s had in a long time. Kaito is tempted to agree, but that rank’s already reserved for the second he heard Shinichi’s real voice for the first time. Which is a secret. Shinichi will never know. Still, no one’s angry. No one’s crying. Even better, Shinichi hasn’t accidentally acted like Conan yet. Another secret Kaito is bound to reveal at some point; Shinichi acting like a child was the cutest thing ever. The only thing that would make it better… is if they would all stop staring at Shinichi and Kaito like that.

In a feat only Kaito could pull off, all of their friends are gathered around a table. Between Shinichi’s group—Ran, Sonoko, Heiji, Haibara, and the Junior Detective League—and Kaito’s own odd collection of friends—Aoko, Akako, and Hakuba—they have quite the party going. This also means that having every single one of them staring at Shinichi and Kaito like they’re suspects in a crime is extremely unnerving. Every. Single. One.

Finally, Sonoko frees them from the tension with an even worse alternative, “So, like, how did you two even meet?”

The group explodes as Ran jumps in with her own, “I know right? I just don’t get how they could have met!”

Aoko, quickly making up for Kaito’s end, throws back, “I thought I knew all of Kaito’s friends, but then he comes out of nowhere and confesses in the middle of campus!”

“Wait, Shinichi confessed in the middle of campus?” Back to Sonoko, and it was time for Shinichi to get his flush going. He was hoping his friends would never find out about that.

Kaito, apparently forgetting he was under fire too, added, “Yeah, it was the cutest thing ever.”

Sly as ever, Akako smirked at them, “He didn’t look even a bit embarrassed.” Shinichi did not remember seeing the witch there. Aoko, sure. Akako though? He never saw her.

However, he had more important concerns, like glaring at Kaito. There was no need, as Hakuba spoke over the girls as well, “Could it have been your nighttime activities?”

“What? Kuroba, what is that supposed to mean?” Sonoko had gone from glaring at both of them to staring Kaito down. Although not a karate champion like Ran, or hotheaded like Aoko, Sonoko could stare most anyone down. The girl was intense on the best of days, and Kaito got the full weight of her glower for once. Where was the girl that had a crush on his alter ego? That was much easier to deal with!

Used to Sonoko, Shinichi quirked his eyebrow up at Hakuba, responding for Kaito, “I think I would notice if my own boyfriend was taking off in the middle of the night to be an international jewel thief.” Clearly the other detective was about to argue back, so Shinichi continued, “Or do you think you can beat me in a deduction?” It was hard to tell if Hakuba’s flush was from embarrassment or anger, but it certainly shut him up. Sadly, it was time for his sole male friend to jump on that.

“Kudou, I never thought you’d be so bold!” Kazuha and Ran blushed on either side of Heiji while Sonoko and Haibara snickered at him. Groaning, Shinichi dropped his head into his hands, muttering something about his friends being perverts.

Genta, Ayumi, and Mitsuhiko, thankfully quiet up to this point, began whispering amongst each other. With all the innocence of childhood, Ayumi asked, “So you guys sleep together?”

The thief should have been blushing along with Shinichi, but Kaito just grinned and presented the child a rose with a quick sleight of hand. He watched with glee as she gave an amazed gasp, taking the rose with gentle fingers. Genta and Mitsuhiko were tempted to be jealous, but they too were more interested in how Kaito did that. Plus, he was dating Shinichi, so he wasn’t a threat. Watching the three break down how Kaito did the trick (and he’d appreciate his lover not training more critics, thank you) he confirmed Ayumi’s question, “Yep. We pretty much live together now.” No shame. No shame at all.

“In all seriousness, though,” Heiji leaned back, uncaring of the sudden attention all on him, “How did you meet before this last winter?” Only Shinichi, Kaito, and Haibara knew what Heiji actually meant; “How did you meet before the Black Org take-down? While you were Conan?”

“Yeah!” Ran pointed a finger at Shinichi, her eyes lit up with realization. “Weren’t you on that big case for the past few years?”

“Big case?” Kaito’s friends glanced back and forth at each other, not sure what was going on.

“Uh,” Shinichi had no idea how to explain to anyone what had happened. Especially without revealing either of their secrets. His return had been well-documented, and he couldn’t say he met Kaito on breaks from his case or else Ran would get upset. Only the jittery thigh pressed against his own revealed Kaito was just as alarmed. Hakuba accusing him of being Kaitou KID was old news, but Shinichi was actual evidence against him. Not that he thought Shinichi would do that to him, but their meet-cute moment was proof enough. Then the jumping stopped.

Kaito turned to Shinichi, his eyebrows furrowed and his eyes searching, “Actually, now that I think of it… What did happen? The news said you came back towards the end of October, but you didn’t come to my school until December.”

Now is not the time. At least, that’s what Shinichi was hoping to convey by the kick he aimed at Kaito’s shin.

“Eh? So you met while you were on the case?” Ran may not be as good a detective as Shinichi, but she was sharp.

All eyes were back on him and Kaito, most of them looking to Shinichi for answers. Whether or not Kaito was a thief, his whereabouts could be accounted for. Shinichi’s? Not so much.

Looking out the window, Shinichi stared for a second at the bright light capturing green trees lining the sidewalk. Some bore small pink flowers, the petals occasionally falling when a gust of wind tore down the street. Some days it felt like years had passed since he took down the Black Organization with the help of Interpol, the FBI, and the police. Other days it felt like just yesterday, and his neck prickled with the phantom fear of certain death waiting unseen. For so long he had kept the secret, that the idea of revealing it even now sent a shiver down his spine. He remembered Agasa’s warnings, and Haibara standing over his bed a gun in her hand. Sharp eyes glaring down at him and larger hands holding him down, toxic death small and innocuous in their palms.

Shinichi took a chance and glanced at Haibara. The girl shrugged, and he pressed out a huff. He could tell them just a bit, right? Their lives weren’t in danger anymore. People could know now. “About… four-five years ago, I ran into a case. A dangerous one.” Shinichi pursed his lips. He wasn’t even planning on telling them everything, and his heart still beat wildly in his chest. Carefully avoiding any of the eyes watching him, he thought of all the times Ran and Sonoko complained about his mysterious case. Neither of them knew just how dangerous it was, and he was hoping they never would.

“I almost got killed, but somehow survived.” Now was also not the time to mention he shrunk to a six year old’s body. “Luckily they thought I had died, so I hid while I had the chance. There was a chance that if they knew I was still alive, they would kill me and everyone I had contact with. Just to make sure I didn’t talk. So I did everything I could to unearth who they really were, and found out they were only a part of a secret organization known only as the Black Organization.” Shinichi swallowed thickly, glanced at Ran, then looked away just as quickly. At some point, his muscles had tensed up, and Shinichi’s face got harder. More distant.

“I tried to stay around to help if I could,” Ran remembered all the cases Shinichi mysteriously knew of. Had saved her from. “But if word got out of my involvement, they might try to-” That one he couldn’t say. Shrugging it off, Shinichi skipped over it. “I met Kaito on a smaller case. We were nothing more than strangers passing by.” His smirk told of something more than that, but no one stopped him to ask. Kaito, as well, wondered where the story would go. As honest as his lover was, Shinichi could lie. He had five years to get good at it. “We talked a bit, matched wits, and I thought that was that. Then I ran into him again, and I guess,” he peeked over at Kaito, “I guess I was lonely. I wanted to talk to someone that couldn’t be hurt just by being a part of my life.

“We wrote letters to each other every now and then. At some point it became-ahem.” Too emotional. Danger. Shinichi backed out before saying anything more. Skipped over that as well. “I messed up. You know, as I do.” He and Ran shared a smile at that one.

Rolling his shoulders, Shinichi called for one last push, “Well, I caught them. Last year. I officially came back so I could testify and supply all the evidence I had gathered against them. After,” he turned to Kaito for the last bit. “After, I wasn’t sure you’d still be waiting. So I-”

“Shin-chan!” Shinichi blinked, surprised as Kaito grabbed his face with both hands. “I would have waited forever. Do you know that?” As they pressed their foreheads together, their friends began shifting in their seats. Ayumi cooed, not uncomfortable in the slightest, as her friends complained at the cheesiness.

Across from Shinichi, Ran felt a mix of emotions, unsure which to settle on. She was ready to scold Shinichi, having never known just what took him away for so long. Upset that she couldn’t wait for him. Couldn’t be the strength he needed. Happier than words could describe that her childhood love could still be happy despite everything. That he could move on after she couldn’t take anymore. Instead, Ran grabbed Sonoko’s hand, needing the weight to ground her. Of course Sonoko did so without question. This may not have been the future either of them envisioned, but it was a good one. And, looking at the children and Kaito’s friends, it may be an even better one.

Akako sniffed, not quite as upset with Kaito loving another as she pretended, grinning as Aoko nudged her in the shoulder. Hakuba rolled his eyes, done with his friend’s antics, but he could let the two gush over each other for now. Now he was sure Shinichi knew Kaito was a thief, but he wouldn’t call the other out on it. He would catch Kaitou KID all on his own, and he liked it that way.

Heiji was not content to let the lovers go without teasing, so he ignored Kazuha’s whispered gossip and leaned forward. “So, Kudou, when’s the wedding?”

“Heiji!” Kazuha hit Hattori for Shinichi, going off on a rant about ruining a moment. As the discussion rose to new heights, everyone joining back in, Shinichi sat back with a smile on his face. Five years ago, he could only name Ran and Sonoko as his friends, and going home to an empty house was business as usual. Now, even with nightmares and fears that had never been there before, he was surrounded with noise. He had even more friends than ever before, not a single one of them fans or sycophants, and every single one he knew would take on the world for him just like he would for them. While the years had been painfully hard, he would do it all over again just for this moment. To feel Kaito’s warmth beside him as the magician drove the chaos forward and the other detectives argued over their deductions. The children proving their place as the next generation of brilliant detectives. Shinichi had lied again, but seeing the smile on Ran’s face as she rattled along with the other girls made every lie and sacrifice worth it. This really was the best day Shinichi had had in a long time, and he was certain there would be even more like it.

#fanfiction #dcmk fanfic #dcmk #kaishin #kaito x shinichi #365 writing challenge #writblr #365 day challenge

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multiply014 · 5 years

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One Chilly Morning

Again, Happy CoAi Day, everyone!

I wrote this to cap off my 31 Days of CoAi project:

Last 4/1, ShinAi Day, I posted Accomplice (Chapter 2) to start off 31 Days of CoAi!

From 4/2 to 4/30, I posted fics daily on Tumblr. I’m still in the process of crossposting them on AO3 and FF (29 in between), Mondays and Fridays… If you want to read them, they’re on my Tumblr page, see tag “x prompt fills”.

Today, 5/1, I posted this, One Chilly Morning, which is the third and final part to One-verse (One Starry Night - One Rainy Afternoon - One Chilly Morning), to end 31 Days of CoAi!

Aside from fics, I’ve also posted:

On 4/1 and 5/1, I wrote two meta posts answering why I ship CoAi! If you want to read them, they’re on my Tumblr page, see tag “x meta”.

From 4/1 to 5/1, I posted about my ramblings about the CoAi fics I've written one by one daily! If you want to read them, they’re on my Tumblr page, see tag “x fic posts”.

I hope everyone had as much fun as I did throughout the project. I never thought I could pull it off, but, hey, I pulled through! The people who have expressed their support (and just when I need it most, too!) deserves credit for helping me complete this project… You know who you are! That’s you!

Thank you so, so much..!

Now on to a bit of description about this work! One Chilly Morning is posted separately from One Rainy Afternoon because it can stand on its own. On AO3, I will be collecting the three works as a series, but you don’t really have to read One Starry Night and One Rainy Afternoon to get what’s up here. It’s just a bit of a plus if you did..!

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this final post for 31 Days of CoAi!

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31 Days of CoAi Prompt Fill 31 of 31:

One Chilly Morning

Fandom (Pairing): DCMK (CoAi) Title: One Chilly Morning Summary (Word Count): Shinichi wakes up early one morning just in time to see The White Mazda(tm) parked outside Hakase’s house, and consequently has bad mood for most of the day. (1228) Links: Also on AO3 and FF. Part 1 and 2 is also on Tumblr (tag: x dcmk one rainy afternoon)

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It’s a chilly morning. Shinichi doesn’t think he’s sick, but he gets up earlier than usual. To kill some time before he’s expected to be out and about, he goes to the study to get some books—because what do you do when you wake up early, really?

His mind isn’t up to speed in the early hours yet, and he can’t seem to settle on a book to reread. His restless eyes find themselves looking out the window. He tells himself he’s not peeking at Hakase’s house, but he is, and the first thing he sees is a white Mazda parked just outside the gate.

It’s Amuro’s car.

His thoughts are confirmed when the front door opens and out comes Amuro and Haibara, one after the other, Hakase seeing them off. In Amuro’s hand is a Fusae shoulder bag—of course, he’s acting like a perfect gentleman. Hakase waves enthusiastically, like a mom sending off her daughter for marriage, to that bag-carrying gentleman all shiny and cheery in the morning—and Shinichi doesn’t really want to think about that, and how he feels a vague sense of betrayal at the image.

The two disappear into the car, Shiho first because of course sparkly host in a gray suit that Shinichi thinks is not really flattering in the morning has to open the car door for the shotgun seat for Haibara—and she doesn’t bat an eye, no hesitation, zero. That makes Shinichi feel increasingly more betrayed to the point that he can’t even push it down with denial because clearly this is not the first time for Haibara and Mr. Blondie to go somewhere together. He hates that he doesn’t know where.

And so, as with all unimportant things regarding Haibara, he doesn’t even bother deducing anything. He just straight up asks her—three rings, four rings, and then five.

She’s not answering.

—For her to be unresponsive, what the hell are they doing in the car in broad daylight?!

Just after the sixth ring, it connects—”Kudo-kun?”

“Where are you?” It comes out snappier than he wants to, but, whatever, the woman’s—just—out there!

A few seconds of silence, and Shinichi can hear Haibara thinking, before she answers, “What do you need?”

To Shinichi’s complete surprise—not—Haibara doesn’t answer his question. So, he just repeats, “Where are you?”

In a beat, Haibara replies, a bit of panic in her voice, “..! Has something happened to Hakase?!”

This, Shinichi quickly denies, “Huh, no! Just, what are you doing?”

Shinichi hears an audible sigh before a tired voice says, “Then why are you so cranky? I’m outside. What do you need?”

Shinichi presses, “Outside, where?”

“Why are you always so weird? On my way to work, why? A case?”

Work, huh… huh? So does this mean since Haibara got the job, Amuro’s always been driving her there?!

Haibara’s voice brings him back from his thoughts, calling him, “Kudo-kun?”

Automatically, he answers, “What?”

“You...” He can hear the irritation in her voice.

Now, Shinichi is confused. What did he do to annoy her this time? “...What?”

“You’re really asking me what?! You’re the one who called out of nowhere, idiot!” She ends the call.

He calls again. It goes to voicemail and he has no doubt that she blocked him.

Haibara blocked his number. She actually blocked him!

This… infuriating… woman!

Whatever! It’s not like he cares!

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

He does, in fact, care.

He makes sure he’s presentable and all but runs to the professor’s house. When Shinichi spots Hakase, he starts practically grilling him with questions, the professor rattling off the answers as fast as he can before Shinichi can fire off the next—

“—Yes, Shinichi, they go to work together.”

“—Yes, Shinichi, it’s been a while, but I don’t remember when it started.”

“—No, Shinichi, I don’t know why; maybe she can tell you?”

“—Hahaha! Shinichi, what did you say for her to block you?”

“—What did you need her for, Shinichi? If it’s urgent, I can tell her.”

Shinichi sighs, and shakes his head, saying, “Nothing, it’s nothing.”

Hakase casts a doubtful look at him, but ultimately acquiesces, “If you say so, Shinichi...”

As he mooches off Hakase’s breakfast, he grumbles. Hakase casts numerous surreptitious glances at Shinichi, before his curiosity wins out, and he finally asks, “Why the interest then?”

Shinichi jumps at the question, and the lettuce leaf he had been torturing with his fork drops on the plate. He immediately shakes his head and denies, “Nothing! It’s just—I saw them today, I… I thought something was up. If there isn’t anything then, I don’t know, whatever, I guess???”

A beep rings out from Hakase’s phone, and, surprisingly, the professor reads the message out loud, “‘Hakase, please check if the dumbass is sick?’”

Without the professor saying the sender, Shinichi blushes and mumbles something about why she doesn’t just go and enjoy the car ride to work instead of worrying about someone she totally didn’t confess to.

Hakase’s knowing smile hidden by his hand, he tries to keep his voice even as he suggests, “Maybe I should just tell her you’re sick, Shinichi?”

Shinichi replies, “I’m fine, Hakase.”

“Well... you don’t know, maybe she’d come home early if we say you are.”

Shinichi replies, a bit louder this time, “I’m fine, Hakase!”

Sighing, then shaking his head, Hakase drops the issue, “Whatever you say, Shinichi...”

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Dinner time rolls around, and Shinichi’s phone lights up. When he sees that woman’s name on his phone’s notifications, he hesitates… but ultimately opens it. He reads the message: Come over for dinner.

Shinichi immediately sends a message… to Hakase: Hakase, what did you tell her?

A few excruciating minutes after that Shinichi totally did not notice go by, he receives a reply: Shinichi, I don’t know what you’re talking about?

Hmm. He might as well go in person to tell the professor—and, might as well, her, too—that he’s fine. It’s just next door, after all.

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On the table, okayu is served with the usual side dishes, and at the center is a pot of what smells like ginger tea.

Before anyone can say anything about the spread, Shiho clears her throat and says, “It’s been chilly recently.”

“Yeah,” is Shinichi’s intelligent reply.

(Hakase is grinning in the background, but neither notice.)

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By the time Shinichi is back at the mansion, he still feels so unbearably warm that he wonders why he isn’t sweating… perhaps he’d caught the flu after all?

He does not think about that morning. He does not think about her message to Hakase. He does not think about her message to him.

He certainly does not think about the dinner.

He does not think about how he did not say he isn’t sick. He does not think even the slightest bit of why he didn’t call her out on her oh-so-obvious intentions, preparing those dishes for dinner. Intentions that he does not think about, too.

Of course, he does not think about how she /must/ have noticed that he did not call her out on it. Which had been unintentional. He simply forgot to point it out—the porridge is just that well-made after all. He’d insist on it being so had he been thinking about it. But he isn’t, so.

Yep, he does not think about all of those.

(He does.)

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Sigh... I want to rewrite (again!) the entire first chapter, One Starry Night… And I want to beat up past me for ever thinking it was a good idea to promise to write another chapter of One-verse. (Literally no one asked for it. Please, past self, why are you so masochistic?)

And, wow, this is really, really the end of 31 Days of CoAi... What a run..!

Check out my 31 Days of CoAi series on AO3 for a better formatted information on my project!

#31 days of coai #coai #haibara ai #edogawa conan #detective conan #dcmk #x writes #x prompt fills #x dcmk one rainy afternoon

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