Kikonote: A little Christmas fwuff piece while I work on polishing my long-overdue next installment of my multichaptered fic. Happy snowy season, everyone!
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Kaitou KID had the uncanny ability to bring out the worst in Shinichi. Nothing so frightening as violent mood swings or an unbeatable urge to use underhanded tricks - it was just the worst for Shinichi's person wellbeing - the most humiliating. Shinichi had fallen from his place as a pompous, lecherous boy who didn't think anything could get to him. He had grown and shrunk at the same time, and as such his pride tended towards shaky.
It had started about a year into his rivalry with KID. KID was after an apple-shaped ruby and half the force was stuck in a pink gummy substance. One moment, he was right on KID's tail. The next, he was crumpled over on the ground, gritting his teeth against a familiar burning thump. A moment later, KID had come back for him. KID thought he was faking it, until he didn't. He was checking Shinichi's vitals. He even took off his glove. Shinichi panicked. Shinichi begged with what little breath he had. KID listened with what little faith he had. At ten at night in one of KID's safe houses, the thief had watched him writhe in pain as his limbs broke, healed, and stretched. That night left Shinichi with little choice but to give some details and to place his trust in a criminal. Some part of his detective pride withered that night, but something grew in its place.
Kaitou KID was nosy. He would show up where he didn't belong and butt into all the business Shinichi had always feared letting others into. He knew more than Shinichi had told him, and he had more ability than Shinichi had given him. They bickered constantly, but through the planning and the tight spots, things began to change. Shinichi started to laugh at KID's jokes, started to sit hip-to-hip with him, started looking for suspicious friendly characters wherever he went. The thief's laughter would ring in his mind. The thief's silly comments would stick with him days later, weeks even.
This lead to one of the longest days in Shinichi's life, because a child was supposed to be cheerful at a Christmas Eve party, and he was anything but. He was humiliated. He was heartbroken. He was lonesome. Even his adoptive family seemed out of reach; by the time Shinichi had brushed his teeth and put on his pajamas, Ran's door was closed with the light off and Kogoro was passed out on the couch. Sighing, Shinichi dragged himself back to Kogoro's room for what would probably be a long, sleepless night staring at the ceiling.
It was all over, because Shinichi had sworn off of heists forever. It was too much for him. Shinichi's weakness was emotion. He could only suppress what he was aware of, and he simply hadn't been for a long while. Thus, the lovestruck detective wound up in the unfortunate position of being obvious to everyone but himself. He brushed it off as people teasing him all up until the night of the last heist. KID had cornered him into a room on the third floor while the rest of the task force were tripping over themselves to get to the roof. They pulled failed traps on each other, and talked. Shinichi never saw how expertly KID was manipulating him until he had inadvertently admitted everything. He saw the thief's face light up with a smirk. His heart was racing and his mind spinning too quickly to create a good excuse. Instead, he ran, never stopping until he got back home.
For once, Shinichi preferred to think of all the responsibility that laid on his shoulders to the misfortunes he might face. He didn't know how he could live with himself if not for the bigger cause. He spiraled all over again whenever anything reminded him of the white-clad heartthrob beyond his reach - and everything did some way or another. He could only curl up in his futon and hope to forget everything.
A faint whistle flew past Shinichi's senses, causing him to bolt up. The curtains rustled. Shinichi rolled his eyes; Kogoro never seemed to shut the window all the way. He didn't care. He flopped back down, turned on his side, and clenched his eyes shut, running his mind though anything but what was on it.
"You shouldn't leave the window open. You'll catch a chill."
When Shinichi opened his eyes, KID peered right back. Nearly jumping out of his skin, Shinichi sat up and glared at the intruder. "What are you doing here?"
A small smirk touched KID's lips. "It's midnight."
Shinichi didn't know whether he shivered from the cold or from that smile. "And?"
"I'm your present."
Only then did Shinichi notice that the thief's usual tie had been replaced with a red bow. He averted his eyes, unable to reel back his feelings enough to keep from looking at all hurt. "This isn't funny," he murmured, "Go home, KID."
KID crawled onto the futon, the detective's eyes subconsciously drifting back to his own. "Who was joking?" He was long overdue for a joke, in fact. Kuroba Kaito had been uncharacteristically serious for the last two days - he was starting to make people worry. "You don't want to know who stole your heart?" Bad choice of words - he could see the detective deflate immediately. KID sighed, ruffling the kid's hair. He smiled when Shinichi instinctively batted his hands away. "Tantei-kun, you're jumping to conclusions. I'm offering you... a contract, of sorts. If you accept, you get me." Perhaps too narcissistic to offer himself as a gift? He had a backup, but he was the better option by far.
Shinichi deadpanned at whatever preposterous plan KID was trying. "You expect me to believe that Kaitou KID wants to go out with his rival, who is a man, and also eight." With a wry smile, he realized how wrong he had been about KID. He didn't think KID was cruel enough to use his feelings against him. "Aren't I a few cups too small for you?"
Kaito pouted. Shinichi liked someone he thought of as merely a skirt-chaser? His attractions had always run both ways; his tactics just worked better when he used them on women to woo them and men to embarrass them. "I'm not that shallow. I value others assets, too. I also like a brilliant mind, a loyal heart, and people I don't have to hide from." He didn't add that while eight-years-old Shinichi lacked some of those fine details, Kudo Shinichi had quite a bit going for him looks-wise, as he had found spending too many hours digging up interview footage. Perhaps he was going crazy from loneliness or was just in denial about the near-eternal celibacy he was signing up for, but being able to replace a bit of his hectic day-games and dangerous night-games with some quality time with someone he could trust, someone who loved him? That made Kaito happier than he had been in a long time.
Shinichi stared at the lopsided smile, his heart rushing a million miles an hour. The worst part was that he was staring to believe him. He straightened up, setting his sights on the monocle with a hard expression. Dedisguising was off-limits; it was a part of their unwritten code. It felt like weights were in his fingers. He wasn't supposed to know what lied beneath the disguise. But KID was right: Shinichi loved a person, and was basing that off a persona. He wanted to know the person. Would things be different? He supposed he was about to find out. He took the monocle in two fingers, swallowing hard when a second glimmering indigo eye was revealed. Next came the hat, which seemed to hide the thief's face even without the monocle and without the usual distance between them. Shinichi pushed the rim up until the top hat fell behind them.
Shinichi frowned when he found Hakuba Saguru grinning back at him. "I'm leaving," he said flatly and started towards the door.
"Ah, wait!" Kaito yelled, grabbing for Shinichi's arm. "I'm sorry; continue! I was just drawing out the suspense!" Perhaps that had been in bad taste, Kaito conceded. He just couldn't stand the thought of allowing himself to be uncovered so easily.
Shinichi hesitated before returning to his spot. Was he still being toyed with? His stupid heart allowed him to hope as he laid his fingers upon the thief's cheek and pulled in a strong swipe downward.
Kaito smiled, helping the detective out by removing the wig. Their height difference would have made that a little too mean.
Shinichi stopped breathing. That was Kaitou KID - he was sure of it. The full-faced grin, the dancing eyes, and the messy brown hair all came together. He reached both hands out to pull the thief's cheeks apart just to be sure. Nothing happened.
"Contract accepted, Tantei-kun." Kaito took the boy's hand in his and sealed their 'contract' with a kiss on the top of the hand. "From now on, there won't be any more secrets between us." The air in his lungs felt lighter, even as his heart hammered as if to warn him that he might be in jail come daybreak. He had done the most foolish thing placing his trust completely in the hands of a detective, and it was exhilarating. "Check your phone."
Shinichi raised a brow. Which one? He pulled out his Conan phone, unable to decide whether or not KID would know of his Shinichi phone. When the screen unlocked, it was on the profile of an unfamiliar contact. Ku-ro-ba Ka-i-to, he read in his mind. He had a name, a number, an address, and even a picture. Scrolling down, he saw a new ringtone as well. Shinichi glanced up, conflicted on whether or not to believe it. "KID..."
"Kaito," corrected the thief. No lover of his was going to go around calling him by that, although he thought it might take him a while to stop saying Tantei-kun.
Shinichi tucked the phone away, pulled his hair back in frustration, and flopped down on his back. The sleepless nights were catching up him. "When I wake up tomorrow, will this be real?"
Kaito laid down beside him, pulling the detective's body closer. "Of course it will, Shinichi. I don't break my word." Kaito grinned as the detective's face broke out in red. "But I offer myself to you and you're stopping here? I still have my jacket on."
Shinichi glared at him, though the deep blush remained. "What would you do if Occhan walked in here right now?"
Kaito's grin never wavered. "Oh, I figure we've got another..." his eyes flicked to his watch, "hour and thirteen minutes?"
Shinichi could have face-palmed. They hadn't fallen asleep that quickly. "Kaito," he growled, light-headed with a joy that still hadn't sunk in fully, "Don't mess with Ran or Occhan again."
Kaito didn't know how to answer. Shinichi clearly didn't understand what a loaded request that was. He would learn in time, Kaito decided, smiling sweetly. "Of course," he pretended to comply, inwardly planning out increments of how he could introduce his particular brand of craziness.
Shinichi snorted at the insincerity, at least knowing that KID would never hurt his temporary family. But he had been awake for tens of hours, and the fingers carding through his hair felt too nice. His body was numbing with sleep no amount of willpower would stop. "Goodnight, Kaito."
Kaito nestled the boy's head against his shoulder, settling in for an all-too-short rest with his favorite detective. "Sweet dreams, Shinichi, and Merry Christmas." He watched Shinichi's breaths even out, his own eyes beginning to feel heavy. He set his internal clock and allowed himself to close his eyes.
The next morning, Shinichi woke to an empty futon. Kogoro had come to sleep in his bed at some point. Small light filtered in through the closed curtains. Shinichi moved to the corner of the room and retrieved his phone. Blue eyes stared at the black screen as he bit his lip. Was it all just wishful thinking...? After gathering the courage, he flicked his thumb across the screen to unlock it. His eyes bulged in shock. His new wallpaper was a selfie Kaito had taken with the sleeping detective, and he had twenty-three messages!? Shinichi was quick to delete the picture before that became his next life's crisis. It was still early, so Shinichi tapped the texts to read about Kaito's wild adventure getting home. He'd never known it was so much trouble taking to the skies. As he scrolled to the last message, he nearly dropped the phone. His cheeks hurt from smiling too hard. Shinichi's eyes scrolled over the message once more before he deleted the entire set, just to be safe.
Okay, that's all from me tonight. I'll see you very, very soon, Shin-chan. Goodnight, love you!
Shinichi shook his head. He already had a new nickname.
Elsewhere, a doorknob slammed against the wall and Kaito screamed. Kaito and Chikage stared into each other's eyes in a moment of confused silence.
"Kaito, what wrong? It's Christmas! Don't you want you special cookies?" Chikage held a tray with frosted cookies and a glass of milk.
Kaito wiped the sweat from his forehead. Christmas Eve was usually the only night he went to bed early, because it was also the only morning he liked to get up early. Instead, he'd been up half the night because of Tantei-kun. The biggest, most cheerful smile spread across his face forcefully. "Cookies! Thanks, mom!" He'd completely forgotten about her. Now he had to figure out a way to break the news to her gently. She'd been rooting for Aoko all the time. Plus, she had a nasty way of hissing out the word detective that made him think he might have to be extra, extra careful.
Kaito had the feeling he had just made his life exponentially more complicated and exciting.