Mikau: Hi guys! Thanks so much for checking this out! This is another one of those Poirot Café forum word of the day prompt projects of mine that got to be the size of a full-length one-shot, so here it is, and I hope you enjoy it. The words were: sunrise, party, eagle, creeper, and pillow! That being said, this is another one of my off-the-cuff, just roll with it writings, so I'm not too sure how it turned out. Anyway, I hope you like it.
Disclaimer: If I owned it, I'd have the Magic Kaito 1412 anime stop jumping around so much. I understand that they're doing their best to stretch out what little plot they have, but…the chronology was screwy to begin with. And now it's worse. I think they're doing a good job overall, though.
…
Somewhere Safe
Even though sunrise was only a few scant hours away, Suzuki Sonoko's Halloween party was still in full swing. Everyone was having a blast playing party games like bobbing for apples, carving pumpkins, and sticking their hands in boxes full of things like "brains", "worms", and "ooze" and then trying to guess what was really inside (Saguru was betting on spaghetti. It was always spaghetti; human brain matter didn't actually feel anything like that…. Not that Saguru expected anyone else at this party to know that). There was dancing and drinking (lots of drinking. They were college students, after all, so why not kill as many brain cells as possible before they graduated and were off into the workforce?).
Hakuba Saguru had come with a group from school, but he'd since lost sight of most everyone. Well, there was Mouri Ran-san over with the hostess herself…and an effeminate, dorky-looking young man in glasses that may have been the black belt's boyfriend. He looked a little accident-prone, if you asked Saguru.
Aoko-kun had gone over to the pumpkin carving station, and Keiko was flirting with Edward Cullen (look! He sparkles! Actually, that was Watanabe whom they had gone to high school with. He'd always been fond of Keiko. Interesting). But, other than that, the substantial group he had originally come with had since dispersed throughout the four large rooms in which the party was being held this evening.
Saguru took a seat in the ballroom on one of the little loveseats pushed up against the wall. He propped his head up in his hand and waited. He wasn't exactly sure what he was waiting for, but…he'd know it when it got there, and, in the meantime, he amused himself with admiring everyone else's costumes.
Saguru himself was dressed as the Tenth Doctor, but some of his favorites included the Mexican flag (complete with eagle and cactus and snake), a man dressed as a box of pocky, and a very sexy interpretation of the Cheshire Cat in leather and sporting a large boa…and several model guns. Hn. The girl wearing the outfit looked like she had stepped right out of an otome game, but she'd obviously put a lot of work into her cosplay, and it looked magnificent, so…
Saguru found himself suddenly distracted as a fantastic specimen of a rear end wearing leather booty shorts came into view. Saguru tried to get a look at the other person's face, but they kept their back to him (whether intentionally or not, Saguru wasn't sure), so Saguru couldn't even determine whether the cosplayer was male or female. Regardless, one thing was certain, and that was that he or she was talented because that was definitely Kagamine Len's "punkish" outfit down to the last detail (what Saguru could see if it, anyway, and that was only the back, but…it was a remarkable backside).
Saguru tried to look elsewhere, but his eyes couldn't help but follow the woman (because Saguru was hoping that it wasn't a man getting him this hot and bothered) until he felt like a total creeper, staring at her and objectifying her like that. She had such a nice behind, though. Someone should be documenting it for posterity. Speaking of posterity, it would be a disservice to mankind if those fantastic genes weren't passed down to the next generation. Saguru would have to speak to her about promoting the species and how he could be of assistance.
But then the cosplayer turned around, and it was Kuroba Kaito in tight leather booty shorts.
Their eyes met.
Saguru's jaw dropped.
Kaito smirked.
"Dammit," Saguru hissed under his breath, forcing himself to look away, but it was too late. Kuroba was approaching.
"Hell of a party, hn, Doctor?" the magician snickered as he gracelessly flopped down on the loveseat beside the detective. Kaito was wearing a smug grin that said "I know you want me."
"Quite," Saguru replied curtly, very disappointed now that he knew the identity of the owner of the behind he had been so infatuated with before.
"I like your costume," Kaito started amicably. "And I noticed you appreciating mine earlier," the little imp snickered, scooting closer just to make Saguru uncomfortable.
Saguru crossed his arms and legs at the same time. "You're going to catch a cold wearing that skimpy thing."
"Nah, I'm staying warm out on the dance floor for the most part," Kaito assured. "Lots of undulating bodies willing to keep me from getting cold. Thanks for worrying about little old me, though."
"Hardly," Saguru snorted. "Kuroba, you look like a streetwalker."
"Thank you!" Kaito giggled. "But I was going for stripper. That's okay, though. I knew I should have brought a pole. You need the pole to get the full effect."
Saguru resolved to say nothing more. He'd only be giving Kuroba more fuel for his fire. Best to deprive it of oxygen and snuff it out that way.
"Was that in bad taste?" Kaito wondered. "Oh well. Wanna dance with me?"
"No. Go away," Saguru mumbled. Ooooh so disappointed.
"Liar," Kaito snickered. "I saw you undressing me with your eyes from across the room. You were probably thinking about bending me over a table and spreading my legs real wide and—"
"—Hush, you. You're simply indecent," Saguru growled.
"But…don't you like it when I talk dirty?" Kaito pouted coquettishly.
"No," Saguru insisted.
Kaito frowned, looking sullen. "You may pretend to be a goody-two-shoes gentleman, but you're a guy like the rest of us. I know what you really want, even if you're too prim and proper to say it." Kaito leaned in and whispered, "C'mon. I know you want it. I can get you off, and we wouldn't have to tell anybody."
When the other young man leaned in, that was when Saguru smelled the unmistakable stench of alcohol on the magician's breath. He recoiled and accused, "Kuroba, you've been drinking."
"Maaaybe," Kaito giggled again, and this time Saguru recognized it for what it was, not flirtatious but drunken behavior. "I turned twenty over the summer, so what if I've been drinking? You worried about me being able to give consent?" Kaito inched closer once more, trying to wrap his arms around Saguru's.
Saguru pushed him away and snapped, "Kuroba, you have been a bloody mess since Aoko-kun started dating Kudo-kun last year. What the hell is wrong with you? Getting drunk and propositioning other men like that?"
Kaito looked away, turning up his nose like an offended cat and crossing his arms with an indignant snort. "How I deal with my issues is my business. Who are you to judge me anyway? Now are you gonna screw me or not?"
"…Kuroba, why don't you have some of your friends take you home?" Saguru suggested, voice gentler this time.
"I don't have any friends," Kaito retorted like a petulant child. "And I can take care of myself."
Saguru looked at his classmate very hard for a moment, trying to remember the last time he had seen Kuroba around other people, hanging out and having fun. It had been a good year or so…before Kudo Shinichi had transferred to Beika U and started dating Aoko. After that…Kuroba had become withdrawn. He'd still accompanied the group on outings, but…he hadn't been the life of the party like he always had before. He had tended to sit on the outskirts, often right next to Saguru, and just watch, looking at Kudo and Aoko enviously.
Maybe it was true that Kuroba didn't have friends anymore. Maybe he was like Saguru in that Saguru knew there were people that considered him to be their friend, but Saguru did not share in that opinion. He went places with people as a part of a group, but he didn't spend time with anyone individually. There was no one he was close with. Perhaps Kuroba had become the same way.
"Can I take you home?" Saguru offered softly.
Kaito glanced at the detective, studied him for a minute, and then looked away. "I don't wanna go there."
"May I ask why not?" Saguru coaxed.
Kaito shifted uncomfortably. "I live by myself. My house is all dark and cold and lonely, and I don't like taking people back there because then I can't leave afterwards…. But…there are some guest rooms upstairs…or, if you're concerned about the people here seeing us, there's a love hotel not too far away that I've been to before. It's a little gaudy, but it's clean, and the prices are reasonable. What did you want to do?"
Saguru's heart lurched. He wanted to shake the magician and demand, "What the hell happened to you?!" Instead he took the magician's hand and stood up, carefully pulling the little drunk to his feet. "Kuroba, can I take you home with me?"
Kaito blinked. "Don't you live with your dad and a housekeeper?"
"Father is away on business, and Baaya will be sound asleep already," Saguru assured.
"…Okay," Kaito agreed, allowing Saguru to tug him along by the hand, out the front door and into a taxi.
They arrived back in Ekoda at the Hakuba Manor just twenty minutes later, and Saguru helped Kaito out of the cab like a true gentleman assisting a young lady.
Kaito shivered as a frigid blast of wind licked at his skin, and Saguru took off his suit jacket to drape around Kaito's shoulders.
Kaito wanted to refuse out of pride, but…he really was cold, and it would only be until they got to the front door, so he decided to suck it up.
Once inside, Saguru asked, "I know it's three in the morning, but are you hungry? When was the last time you ate something substantial?"
Kaito shrunk up. "I had some cup ramen yesterday for lunch, so I'm fine. Don't feel like you have to feed me just because you're gonna screw me. I don't do the whole 'girlfriend experience' thing."
"Well, I do," Saguru informed, taking Kaito's hand once more and practically dragging him back to the kitchen. "What do you want?"
"Nothing," Kaito insisted, trying to pull away.
"Well, what would you eat?" Saguru refused to let go.
"Nothing," Kaito reiterated.
Saguru frowned. "Seriously. If you could have anything at all to eat at this moment, what would you ask for?"
Kaito crossed his arms over his chest and looked away, shoulders rising to meet his ears in a tsundere fashion. "…Something homemade. I don't eat meat, but, so long as it doesn't come in a box or a bag or a wrapper…anything's fine. I haven't had anything homemade in a long time, so…I don't care. Whatever. Just heat up some leftovers if you're determined to feed me."
"Can I make you an omelet and some toast?" Saguru volunteered.
"Y-Yeah," Kaito agreed, feeling six different kinds of awkward as he took a seat that the island and waited for his midnight breakfast. "…You really don't have to do this, you know."
"You said that you live by yourself. When was the last time that you actually cooked for yourself? Or do you just order takeout and survive off of prepackaged meals?" Saguru asked over his shoulder as he sautéed the vegetables for the omelet.
Kaito held back a growl. "That doesn't concern you."
"As your friend, it does," Saguru replied simply, adding the egg whites and then putting two slices of bread in the toaster.
"You're not my friend," Kaito grumbled.
"You may not think of me as such, but I assure you that I consider you to be my friend, and that makes it my business."
Instead of really addressing Hakuba's argument, Kaito muttered, "Since when are we friends?"
"Back in high school?" Saguru shrugged.
Kaito shook his head. "You hated my guts back in high school."
"Only when I first met you, but that wore off after a few months." Saguru lifted the sides of the omelet, letting all of the liquid drain to the bottom so that he could flip it without sloshing egg everywhere. "After that…"
"After that, we've never been close enough for you to consider us friends, Hakuba," Kaito declared.
Saguru shrugged once more, flipping the omelet and adding cheese before going over and retrieving the toast, putting it on a plate. "Well then, starting tonight, henceforth, we shall be friends."
Kaito rolled his eyes.
Saguru folded up the omelet and situated it on the plate next to the toast before setting the dish down in front of Kaito along with a fork and a knife.
Kaito ate in silence while Saguru grabbed a snack from the fridge for himself. Once Kaito was finished, he muttered a sheepish, "Thank you. That was really good."
"I'm glad," Saguru chuckled, clearing away the dishes and guiding Kaito up the stairs.
At this point Kaito was beginning to worry that he was no longer tipsy enough to actually sleep with the blonde.
Saguru stopped halfway to his room and opened the door to the hall closet. He pulled out a big, fluffy towel and some toiletries that looked like the kind they provided for you at a fancy hotel. There was even a new toothbrush. Saguru next ushered Kaito into the bathroom and set the supplies down on the counter there.
"Go ahead and take a shower to warm yourself up. I'll bring in some clothes for you in a minute after I get the bedroom ready."
Kaito nodded, docilely beginning to remove his costume. The water felt good on his skin, so he turned up the heat a little more and just stood there for a few minutes before he began to wash. He figured that the Hakubas could afford the water bill, so he took an extra-long shower. Truthfully he preferred the Japanese way of washing off first and then soaking in the bath, but…the Hakubas had a western bathroom complete with the toilet actually in the same room as the shower, so there really wasn't anything Kaito could do about it besides just enjoy the steam.
Kaito got out and found a pair of pajamas sitting on the counter next to the sink for him. He was a little confused, but whatever. Really, what was Hakuba thinking? Wouldn't it be better for Kaito to just come in in a towel? What was the point of him putting clothes on just to take them off again? And what was up with the pjs? Plaid pajama pants and a ruby shirt? Unsexy. Seriously. Not sexy in the least! Unless…Hakuba had some kind of weird fetish or something, but…
With a sigh, Kaito slipped on the pjs and resisted the urge to make a Kid doodle with his finger in the fog clinging to the mirror. He reluctantly made his way to Hakuba's bedroom down at the end of the hall. It was a good thing that Kid had broken in here so many times for recon. Kaito knew the place very well. He could even tell you which drawer the silverware was kept in. He'd impersonated Baaya a few times.
Kaito reached the door to the bedroom and sighed heavily once more. He was definitely not drunk enough to be doing this. He still felt too tipsy to even think about trying to get home by himself, but…Oh well. What's done is done, and now he owed Hakuba a roll in the hay before he snuck out the bedroom window and made a break for it.
Finally Kaito gathered up the courage to open the door just in time to see Hakuba—showered and in his own set of frumpy pajamas—moving a pillow from the bed over to the couch…which had been made up with blankets in order to form a makeshift bed.
"Ah. Kuroba. I was just about to come check on you," Hakuba greeted pleasantly. "I changed the linens, so you go ahead and take the bed. I'll sleep on the couch tonight."
Kaito stood in the doorway, staring and then blinking. He cocked his head to the side in confusion. "What?" Kaito mumbled as Saguru came over and guided him by the wrist to the bed.
"No worries. Go ahead and take the bed," Saguru insisted, pushing Kaito towards it.
"B-But…Aren't you gonna…you know…sleep with me?" Kaito stammered. "Isn't that why you brought me here?"
Saguru just laughed softly and shook his head. "Kuroba, I only make love to people that I plan to spend the rest of my life with. I brought you here because you're my friend, and you needed someone to take care of you, not take advantage of you tonight. Now go to sleep. Baaya will make us a big breakfast in the morning."
Kaito continued to stare at Saguru, looking absolutely incredulous. "Wh-Why? You don't even like being in the same room with me if you can help it. Why would you do this for me?"
Saguru shrugged, going over and hitting the light. "I don't dislike you as much as you've got it into your head that I do…and I've been alone and felt lost before myself. I won't pretend to know what you're going through, Kuroba, but it must be some pretty serious refuse for you to be self-destructing as much as you appear to be. My advice is to stop coping with your issues by getting drunk and sleeping with people you don't love…however, I am aware that you are stubborn and prideful and unlikely to listen to anything I say, but…could you just believe me when I say that I want to be your friend and be there for you?"
Kaito sank down onto the bed, and his gaze fell to the floor. Silent tears began to stream down his face as he struggled to process what was going on. "So…you brought me here to take care of me…because you want to be my friend?"
"If you'll let me." Saguru shrugged. "If not…I plan on watching out for you regardless. It would just be a great deal easier for me if you cooperated." Saguru came over and handed Kaito a handkerchief. "It's alright, Kuroba." He turned to head to the couch, but Kaito caught him by the wrist.
"…Did you want to talk about it?" Saguru tentatively asked.
Kaito shook his head but didn't let go. His cheeks glowed red with shame.
Saguru nodded, taking a seat on the bed beside the magician. "Shall I just sit here with you, then?"
Kaito nodded, the tears becoming slightly more audible.
"We'll sit as long as you need," Saguru assured.
Kaito nodded again, letting it come out, but only a little bit. He couldn't yet bring himself to bawl like an infant in front of Hakuba.
Ten minutes or so into the grieving process, Kaito whispered, "Aoko…found out. She found out, and…now when she looks at me…she turns up her nose like I'm some kind of open manhole. I…and then she started dating Kudo, and she looks so happy with him while I…" Kaito's voice cracked, and he went back to sobbing softly.
"Shh," Saguru soothed, placing an arm around Kaito's shoulders and gently stroking Kaito's upper arm. "I'm sorry, Kuroba," he whispered.
"It's just…I kept thinking that I just had to hold on…just a little bit longer and then I could stop, and then things could go back to the way before all of this crap with Kid, but…then she found out, and it was all over, and I starting thinking what was the point? What was the point of any of it, if I lost her? I don't care about stupid killers in black trench-coats or gems that grant immortality. I just wanted to find out what happened to my dad…make him proud of me…protect people…. But what was the point of working so hard for so many years if I don't have Aoko?"
And then Kaito lost it, unable to keep any semblance of poker face on anymore. And he wept.
Saguru wrapped his arms around the smaller young man and held him as Kaito cried himself to sleep. Saguru debated tucking Kaito in and retreating to the couch, but…in the end he decided that he should be there beside the magician should Kaito wake up first.
With some difficulty, Saguru maneuvered the both of them under the covers. He then struggled to fall asleep with his new friend unconsciously snuggling up against his chest.
For the briefest moment Saguru let his guard down and found himself thinking that the little brunette was cute. He tried to remind himself that Kuroba Kaito was a trickster with a bad personality and a twisted sense of humor that had dyed Saguru's hair bloody Easter egg colors in the past…but…he couldn't push away or discount the fresh images of Kaito's bitter tears and cries of agony. For all that Kaito pretended to be independent and strong, the magician was actually quite vulnerable and lost…hurting, wounded…and the natural protector inside of Saguru found that undeniably attractive.
"Dammit," Saguru hissed for the second time that evening.
He immediately began to attempt damage control. Okay. So Kuroba was attractive. So what? Saguru didn't necessarily have to act on that attraction, but…
Kaito's long eyelashes momentarily distracted him.
…but…Where had he been going with this? He'd lost his train of thought.
And then he made the mistake of studying Kaito's face—still puffy and red from tears but not diminished in beauty by that fact. The cheekbones…the lips…the cute little nose…the bangs and the way they fell across the face.
"Dammit," Saguru reiterated as his hand started to itch. It had a mind of its own, and it was really tempted to slide down Kuroba's back just a little further to feel that glorious backside he'd earlier observed adorned in tantalizing leather booty shorts. He restrained himself, policing that hand and keeping it tightly glued to the small of Kaito's back.
Okay. Kuroba Kaito was attractive, but he did NOT need Saguru coming on to him at the moment. What Kaito needed was a friend, and Saguru was determined to be there for the poor guy, to help him out and not betray him. It was his duty right now as Kuroba's friend to get the young man back on the right path, to help him regain his sense of self, his self-respect.
Maybe later…once Kuroba was back on his feet…maybe then Saguru would allow himself to reflect upon how handsome Kaito was, but before that…it was Saguru's duty to have a little self-control.
Saguru sighed softly, resting his head on the pillow beside Kaito's. He screwed his eyes shut and tried not to notice the scent of hotel shampoo and body wash coming from his bedmate.
In the morning, Kaito woke up first and was a little startled to find himself in bed with Hakuba Saguru. Fully clothed, no less. He lay there for a while, trying to put the pieces of last night back together. Things were a little fuzzy, but he remembered for the most part. The party itself was blurry, but things got clearer once he reached the Hakuba Manor.
Kaito mentally winced as he thought about what a fool he'd made of himself in front of Hakuba. How he'd cried and had even gone so far as to cling to the detective as he wailed. Kaito mentally face-palmmed.
But…Hakuba had seemed completely genuine when he'd said that he wanted to be Kaito's friend. He'd been sincere, not in the least bit snide or condescending when he'd held Kaito and comforted him when he'd cried.
Kaito opened his eyes and studied his host. He'd have to rethink his opinion of the snotty Brit. Maybe Hakuba was pretty okay after all. At least…he wasn't nearly as bad as Kaito had originally decided.
Kaito picked up his head and looked at the clock on the nightstand. It was already nine-thirty. He shrunk back into the covers, snuggling up against Hakuba for warmth. It was cold out there. He wouldn't be going anywhere in pajamas and he definitely wouldn't be leaving the house in his Halloween costume, so…it looked like he'd be waiting for the detective to wake up and lend him some clothes…maybe give him a ride home. Kaito could always, of course, just help himself to a change of clothes and then give them back once he'd washed them, but…he kind of wanted to stay and wait for Hakuba to wake up for some reason. He wanted to eat a home-cooked breakfast and thank the blonde properly for all that he had done last night. He wanted to apologize properly for everything that he had done.
Most of all, Kaito wanted to stay a little longer in Saguru's arms. It was comfy and warm and safe. The view wasn't too bad either, if he were being completely honest, but…Kaito could really use some security at the moment. He knew he was a ten-car-pileup, and he knew better than to even think about any kind of relationship. It would just be a rebound, and that wouldn't be good for either of them. Kaito knew he needed friendship more than anything…someone he could count on. He decided to start with that. Should this friendship grow into something more over time, fine, but, for now…
Kaito closed his eyes once more and let the pine scent of Hakuba's body wash soothe him as thoughts of pancakes and biscuits and eggs and hashbrowns floated through his mind as he drifted in and out of consciousness.
…
Mikau: Thanks so much for reading, guys! I hope you enjoyed it. I know it's a little late for Halloween, but…better late than never? I actually wasn't going to post it because I think it's a little unpolished, but then I was thinking why not, so here it is. Let me know what you think. Have a great day, guys, and thanks in advance for taking the time to send in a review! Until next time!