Title: On the Subject of Holiday Cheer: Or How the Kaitou Saved Christmas
Author: Fyliwion
Fandom: Magic Kaitou
Pairing: Aoko/Kaito
Words: 3202
Rating: PG-13?
Disclaimer: I'm not Gosho but I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!
Author's Note: Annual Christmas coming home fluffy fic I've been doing since that first ever fic I wrote several years ago on Christmas….

Aoko had this soft spot for the winter holidays, and had never understood those who couldn't seem to get in the spirit. She always liked baking the treats, throwing her parties, and getting gifts for those close to her- The rest of the year could go completely wrong, but it had always seemed that some how during those couple of weeks during winter everything had a way of turning out right.

Except this year.

She'd cancelled the party when she realized no one would be there to enjoy it. Co-workers were heading home early to visit lovers and family members and even Keiko was going off somewhere with a new guy she'd met.

This year she would simply be alone.

She'd purchased a couple gifts, but except for the scarf for Keiko and a couple goodies for a couple of her closer friends from work there just wasn't much else to do to get ready for the holidays…

For the first time she began understanding what some people had against the bubbly holiday season. She truly began to believe that if she saw one more couple looking as lovey-dovey as some pair of Americans she might actually scream.

So this year she would just lock her self up in her apartment with some hot cocoa and watch movies until New Years when she'd have to trek up to the temple to see her father.

It was Christmas Eve that she finally plopped down to channel surf, and passing one of the news networks began to wonder if maybe she'd see some sign of Kaitou KID. He always did seem to have heists around the holidays, as if seeking to especially annoy her. She knew she shouldn't care, and shouldn't want one but-

Except there were no notes left this year, anymore than there'd been notes left for the past several months, and while she hated to admit it she would have happily taken one.

She grabbed her throw and bundled up deeper trying not to feel sorry for herself knowing full well that at least some of the fault for her being so alone was on her shoulders.

She grabbed for her cup of hot cocoa, that was noticeably no longer hot- and tried to sip it while ignoring the flood of cheesy shoujos, dramas, and holiday cheer that was permeating her television set.

Aoko was just about to give in to need to really dive into self pity when a knock on the door sent her hot cocoa flying, and she managed to spill the contents all over her and the blanket. For life of her she couldn't imagine who would be calling that late. Hakuba was suppose to have flown out to England, and unless Keiko's date went completely out the window…

"One second!" she called as she bundled up the ruined blanket, and tried to wipe the worse of the chocolate from her pajamas. She couldn't imagine anyone important being there, and more than likely it was some westerner coming door to door trying to get her to come to a Christmas service or the like- and she didn't really care if she greeted them covered in cocoa or not.

She opened the door to the back of man starting to head away. He seemed dressed up, and had a traveling bag over one arm. Like I thought, some Westerner trying to convert me to something but it wouldn't do to be rude, especially given tomorrow's date. She started to call out a "Hello?" just as the visitor spun around to greet her.

Only he happened to be standing on a patch of the ice that currently covered the walkway to her house, and to be fair it looked like he was going to make it until she caught a brief sight of his face and he let out a yell and went skidding headlong towards her steps before landing semi-gracefully on her doorstep.

Well ice and Kuroba Kaito had never mixed very well.

The cheesy grin he sent up at her from where he sat on the ice helped fuel the laugh that started bubbling from her lips against her will. It was a little too ridiculous given the situation, with Kaito sitting on the ice and his bag half buried in the snow next to him, and her standing there covered in cold cocoa and looking an absolute mess.

"Hi~" he said with a grin from where he sat one the ground, "I er- thought I'd stop in and bring in some holiday cheer…" she didn't know how he did it, but somehow he looked up to have several snowflakes start to fall on his face and within seconds she saw swirls of white everywhere.

She opened the door wider and tried to put back on a mask of dissatisfaction, but found it had fled her like it always did when she dealt with the magician, "Alright come in before you get sick and I end up having to take care of you or something…"

"Merci Madame!" He was on his feet and she found her hand whipped into his as he gave a low bow and gave the barest kiss against her finger tips.

She pulled it away cheeks turning red as she walked into the house, "I shouldn't even let you inside…" she told him, "And I don't know what possessed you to think that showing up here was a good idea especially on Christmas Eve-"

She saw him brush off snow from the corner of her eye as he set down his stuff. He stretched like some sort of large cat, before following her into the other room, "I missed you?"

"After I almost had you shot?" She turned to give him a level glare, "And almost had Hakuba haul you off, and screamed you all the way to a different country??"

"Hey I was going to France whether you threatened to kill me or not-" he shifted a little, "And I didn't actually know if you'd let me in or not, I thought maybe I'd at least get a chance to talk with you now that you've calmed down a bit-"

She gave a long sigh and looked him over, "Do you want something to drink? I can heat up some more cocoa or-" she felt heat rise in her cheeks again as she was reminded of the messy state she was in.

"Nope I'm fine. Don't go to any extra work for me- I think you already fought and lost to the hot cocoa anyway-" he told to her with a sly smile.

"I hate you…" she muttered as she plopped back down on the couch wondering again why she even let the felon into her house.

She felt him more than she heard him come over, and she was surprised when she saw a sober expression cross his face before throwing her a smile, "Yeah well… think of me as that pesky oni you just can't seem to get exercised ."

There was a long dwindle of silence and she sighed, "I didn't mean… I didn't mean that. I wouldn't let you in if I really hated you… I forgot-"

She saw a spark of something in his eye and he chuckled, "Gotch ya!" He winked and she found that some how he'd stolen the remote and was flipping through her channels.

It took a while before either spoke again. Somehow he'd just barged back into her life, and she'd let him. Forget the insults and threats she'd thrown at him. Forget the near misses or that he was still one of the most wanted criminals in Japan. Forget that they hadn't talked in over a year. Like that Kaito just stormed through her door and acted like nothing had changed, and she didn't even protest… didn't even want to… she let herself realized just how badly she didn't want to be alone on Christmas.

"Why are you here?" she asked at last finally daring to ask the question that she hadn't quite been able to get out at the door.

The boy turned off the TV and swiveled around to look at her, "Does it matter?"

She shrugged, "I'm curious. You could be anywhere, and you came here instead not even knowing if I'd let you in." It wasn't like his mother was here anymore to bring him back either.

The smile he threw at her was one of the all knowing KID smiles, "I didn't think you'd want to be alone on the holidays." She could see a little behind the mask and realized just how much it might have cost him to come see
her. Straight from the airport and not even knowing if she wouldn't just call the police where she stood.

And somewhere in between she found that all the emotions she'd been hiding under her own mask started bubbling up, "Don't be stupid…"

He leaned forward, almost to a point where he was too close, before he forced her to look up at him and he gave a gentle smile, "I missed Dad too that first Christmas, but if it wasn't because of your insistence on all those silly parties and dragging me over to help you with everything I think they would have been a lot worse-" he suddenly looked around a pouted, "Man you didn't even bake cookies this year!"

"Nobody but me to eat them-" she muttered looking back into her lap.

"Which is why I figured I'd show up… after all even if you didn't let me in the house or talk to me you'd have been furious with me all night, and that still would be better then moping around all evening yeah?" Admit it- even if you had thrown a brick at me or chased me away with a mop or something it still would have been more exciting then sitting in a dark house- Right??" He gave her a small smirk and sat back.

"Kaito-"

"Hey!" he stood up and looked around, "You don't have decorations either… and don't tell me that tiny little table tree counts- you're always going to the extreme."

"Well I didn't get to have a party this year, and no one else was going to see the house so it seemed kind of strange to put them up for just me," the words fell out defensively, but she felt the nagging self pity that had claimed her earlier in the back of her mind.

"Humph. Well you have someone over now!" he told her with a cheeky grin as he looked around. "I think we need to do something about the holiday cheer--"

"Kaito I am not dragging out the decorations the night before Christmas.." she leaned back into the coach rolling her eyes.

"No you aren't. That's what you have magicians for," he grinned her way and suddenly there was a loud bang and the house filled with a thick green smoke. Aoko had just enough time to scream several profanities she'd learned from her father before she found herself coughing severely.

"Tsk Tsk! Such language during the holidays!" The voice hovered in the smoke taunting her playfully. It was all Aoko could do to keep her from screaming, "KID!" and chasing after him in the haze.

"….Kaito… make the smoke go away or-" another set of coughs interrupted her.

"It's fading… sorry guess I used the stuff I'd been saving for heists instead of the usual magician smoke…" he must have been telling the truth given that she was beginning to be able to see faint shapes that seemed to be getting clearer.

"So long as it doesn't stain anything…"

"Promise! Not to mention on the heist stuff it can't leave a residue… evidence ne?"

"….ha ha ha…"

When the smoke finally cleared she became aware that Kaito was lounging next to her again, but she found a smile and than laugh tugging at her lips against her will. She ended up getting on her knees to look around her eyes more than a little wide.

Garland was hung on all the beams as well as the sign proclaiming "Merry Christmas" that she'd had forever. A red and green cloth covered her table, where there was now a large Christmas bouquet instead of a tree. As for her little table tree, it seemed to have turned into a full-sized Western style tree filled with twinkling lights and ornaments, and a large star on top that looked suspiciously like the star KID had stolen that one year when they were in high school.

She also noticed that on the table there seemed to be two mugs of something steaming, as well as what appeared to a layout on the table that implied cookie making given the cookie sheets, cookie cutters, and other assortment of bowls and ingredients.

Laughter finally bubbled over until she was almost crying from her lack of air, though she was un-amused how Kaito just sat there with that smug look on his face as he watched her from his seat.

"I'm not even going to bother asking how you did it-" she said when she could finally talk again. Looking around her eyes rested on the cookie kit again and threw a glare at Kaito, "Is that suppose to be a sign?"

He grinned, "Aw come on! What's Christmas without Aoko's Christmas cookies? You make the best too- I really like the ones shaped like puppy dogs with those weird ears…"

Aoko rolled her eyes as she started to stand up, "….Those are suppose to be reindeer stupid."

"Reindeer… cute puppies… they taste good whatever they are!" He stood up to follow her and walked over to the table to look at the stuff when he held out a green and red Christmas apron. Where stronger men then Kaito had withered under the look she gave him his grin just got wider.

"I am not putting that on…."

He pouted, "Aww come on! Look your still in your pajamas- I could poof you into a Santa outfit or something, but instead I'm offering you an apron!"

"….No…"

He grabbed one end and made a dart for her trying to tie it around her, "Come on! You don't want to be pouty on Christmas! What would people say if they knew they're sweet little Aoko-chan was being a Scrooge this year!?"

"No!!!" She tried to dart towards the kitchen to lock him out, "I could still call Hakuba you know and have him pick you up!"

"Hakuba's in Britain probably getting fat on Figgy Pudding- come on Aoko! What about a Santa hat?" She turned to see him suddenly sprouting the red and white thing.

"I could kick you out you know!" She reached the utility cabinet that was right at the doorway to kitchen and stopped to grab for the mop when she felt herself snagged by something around her waist.

"Don't you dar-" she started to say as she felt him behind her trying to tie the strings. She tried to turn around to yell at him, but found that he pulled the apron tighter so all she could do was give a half turn to look at him in the face.

She had it in her mind to slap that cheeky grin off his face.

"Hah! Beat you to the mop, and if I let you go you're just going to hit me," he told her with a smirk.

"I have half a mind to smack you silly right here-"

He grinned back, "Well yeah, but given the force of your smack if I'm still holding the apron like this then we'll both probably be knocked unconscious by the impact when we fly into the wall."

She looked up pleading to what ever God was listening to save her from idiots like Kaito, and froze when she noticed a piece of green tied with a ribbon over the doorway she was standing under.

She couldn't pull her eyes away from the green as she felt red rising to her cheek.

"What's wrong?" Kaito said as he looked up too and she saw a look of surprise come over his face as his cheeks turned red too.

"Don't give me that-" she muttered, "You were the one that put it there!!"

"I hung no mistletoe thanks!? And risk your wrath? I would've hung it somewhere less conspicuous anyway-" they were both still red, and he loosened the apron a little but not enough for her to escape she noticed.

"Well I sure didn't hang it! And you were the one who poofed all this here! That mistletoe was not here before you showed up!" She poked him with her finger which only worked to get a chagrin look out of Kaito.

He shrugged, "I'm telling you I didn't plan for any mistletoe… Look it's only us anyway- You don't have to-"

"It's tradition…" she muttered her cheeks going redder.

"Well I'm pretty unconventional anyway, but I mean I don't know who wouldn't want to kiss me? I'm pretty charming after all so if you want to kiss-"

"Who'd want to kiss an idiot thief?" She said rolling her eyes, but somehow the words came out far softer than she'd planned, and she realized he was pulling the strings of the apron in to pull her closer.

"Mmm guess your right… Shouldn't push my luck, but I guess tradition can't be broken-" he leaned down and placed a light kiss on her cheek, "Merry Christmas Aoko."

Except that she felt her heart jump as his lips brushed her cheek and his eyes were almost glowing with emotion as she met them. The same rush of emotions flew over her and she rose on her tiptoes to place a small chaste kiss on his lips.

She felt him pull the apron in holding her to him as she moved back her head enough to smile, "Merry Christmas Kaito." She felt giddy as a flood of warmth washed over her, "Thank you."

She saw the look of surprise before he broke out into a smile and placed another kiss on her forehead he began to speak and she shook her head with a grin, "And I'm still not wearing that stupid apron!"

"What about the Santa outfit?"

"Noooo~!" She dropped down and managed to sneak out of the apron and grab the mop swinging it over his head as he ducked just in time.

"Grinch!"

Some things would never change.

A/N: It's tradition that I write a Christmas fic… just for Christmas usually a coming home fic for Detective Conan, with a different couple every year. I'm pretty sure I did Kaito Aoko the year before last; however, last year was Heiji/Kaz and Kaito/Aoko has been neglected lately so I thought it would be alright to revisit them especially with the KID case this year. It became far longer than any of the previous ones, but probably because there was no fic dump this year due to time. Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and great New Year!