title: may the fourth be with you

Many times, I've contemplated the wisdom of giving Kaito a set of house keys. (Not that he couldn't get inside without them.) Especially when he crawls into my bed at 2:00am with cold feet. Especially when he wakes me up before noon even though it's my day off. I'm regretting my life choices.

I push myself into a sitting position and glare at him from where he's sprawled across the bed. Full dressed, cheerful, and awake. I will never understand morning people. "Why do you feel the need to do this?"

"Because I love you," he replies seriously. It could not be more obvious that he's mocking me.

"Right," I say dryly. "Because nothing says 'I love you' like waking up your boyfriend at eight thirty in the goddamn morning for absolutely no reason." He just grins at me. Jerk. Still, it's not like he's going to leave me alone any time soon. "Move so I can get up, would you? And if you expect me to do anything this early, I better be getting coffee."

"Yes, yes. I already started it."

"Good, now shoo."

"Aw, is Shin-chan embarrassed? Don't worry, it's not like I've nev—"

"Out!"

…

"Your artificial intelligence in a cup, sir." Kaito hands me a mug and I take it without bothering to address his comment. "So… What are you doing today?"

"Well." I pause to take a sip of coffee. Much better. I almost feel like a real person again. "I was planning to stay in and rewatch the season one finale of Elementary… but I can see that's not going to happen anymore. So I have no idea. What are we doing today?"

"Glad you asked! I found a… Is that your phone?"

Sure enough, there's a faint buzzing noise. How he heard that, I have no clue. I dig around in my pocket for it, then check the caller ID. Ran. "Hel—"

"It's May fourth," Ran says abruptly.

"…May the fourth be with you?"

"We both know you don't like Star Wars!"

I shrug, forgetting she can't see me. "Star Trek is better."

"We can discuss your appalling taste in movies another day. Shinichi, it's May fourth."

"Yes. I'm aware. I don't know why you felt the need to call and tell me this."

"It's your birthday, you dolt!"

"Oh. I suppose it is my birthday, isn't it? I forgot." Something shatters. I look over and Kaito is staring at me, wide-eyed. There's a broken pieces of a mug on the floor. Luckily, it's from that awful set mom insisted on keeping because they were a wedding gift. "Damn. Ran I'll call you back, okay?"

"Why didn't you tell me it was your birthday?!"

"I forgot," I say absently, crouching down to pick up the pieces. "It's not like it's important."

Kaito looks scandalized. "Of course it's important! You've been alive for nineteen years and I, for one, am grateful for it." Never thought about it like that. "Change of plans. We're going out."

"Out where?"

"It's a surprise," he says in a sing-song voice. "Don't worry, you'll like it. Now! Leave this mess to me and go change."

"What's wrong with what I'm wearing?"

"Everything," he says emphatically. Ouch. "Go and find something less formal. Casual. Dress your age for once. You look like you stepped out of one of those fancy fashion magazines Sono-chan and Ai-chan read."

"Fine, fine." I start back up the stairs and listen as Kaito hums to himself. I wonder what he has planned.

1. yes, shinichi remembered a dumb star wars pun and not his birthday. i swear to god, this idiot. ran has to deal w/ this. every. single. fucking. yr. not the star wars thing, the shinichi-you-need-to-at-least-do-smth-for-your-birthday-idc-what-it-is thing. they usually go out and walk around the mall and ran buys shinichi a book. bc ofc that's what he wanted. like he doesn't have enough already. and then they go get ice cream. kaito's birthday, on the other hand, is usually filled w/ more-over-the-top-than-usual pranks and aoko yelling at him less. or at least not as loudly.

2. last yr on kaito's birthday, he was dating hakuba. who got him prank supplies. no. srsly. he rly did. kaito was all 'wtf what's the catch?' but no. hakuba's weird. like, he knew kaito would enjoy that but he must have known that those items would very likely be used against him in the not-so-distant future? and they were. kaito dyed his hair electric blue as a thank you (tho it was mostly bc he had no fucking clue how to react, like who would have expected that, literally no one, aoko later asked if he was a masochist). hakuba just sighed and said "i should have seen that coming".

3. so shinichi usually either looks, as kaito put it, like he stepped out of a fancy fashion magazine. crisp suits, nice ties, the whole nine yards. or he brings out smth like the fucking leopard print shirt. there is no in between. that first ep, when he was actually dressed casual and looked decent, i suspect ran just grabbed clothes out of his closet and told him to put it on.

4. no, i have no clue what kaito dragged him into after that. i don't make a big deal out of birthdays either so i have no clue what ppl even do? idk, fill in the blanks.

an: so this is partially a birthday present to myself (bc my birthday was yesterday), and also partially for jennosaur whose birthday is today! and it also may or may not have been inspired by my asshole s.o. who woke me up at 8:30am yesterday and txted me the lyrics to the entire birthday song. line by line. in eng and in french. 35 txts in all. there was so much buzzing i actually thought my phone was ringing. srsly tho who does that. ngl it was sorta funny after the fact, but still? anyways, i'm sry this is so rushed! i came up w/ the idea yesterday at like midnight and i've been struggling thru it since then. i wanted to get it out for today. and idk, maybe another day i'll give it a second chap detailing what kaito's planning to do. who knows.