Kaito sat on the windowsill, watching as his class filtered in. His eyes scanned each and every person, taking in their face, then moving to the next one in less than a second. After a few minutes of this unusual behaviour, Aoko walked in. A grin grew on his face when he noticed her, but he didn't move from his perch.
Aoko looked around cautiously, seeing that her classmates were simply ignoring the behaviour this time round and deduced that it was something he had been doing for 10 minutes at the very least. She sighed, grabbed a mop from its position on the wall and approached him, wondering inwardly why she was even bothering to question him this time, considering all the strange things he did on a regular basis. "Why are you watching everyone, Kaito?"
Kaito huffed, and resolutely avoided looking down towards her. "I'm trying to memorise everyone's faces so I can replace them in their sleep with robots programmed to do my bidding. Leave me alone for a moment, unless you want me to add you to my army."
Aoko almost nodded in agreement and left him to it- but that was before she realised the sheer absurdity of that statement, even if it was coming from Kaito. The mop she wielded with such precision regularly found itself being used to clear surfaces of the prankster, and this time was no exception. The mop wasn't quite long enough to cope when he simply migrated to the ceiling instead of falling like a normal person might have done. He sighed in mock defeat, and shrugged his shoulders from his position on the ceiling that oh so casually defied gravity.
"Alright, alright! I'm waiting for Hakuba to walk in. He said on TV last night that he would challenge Kid-sama over Gaia's Tear- when he figures out the awesome riddle in the note, of course."
Aoko pinched the bridge of her nose, watching Kaito with a half exasperated, half frustrated expression. "I really should have known that would be it. You do realise this is the last heist your precious…" She adopted a saccharine, mocking tone here. "'Kid-sama!' Will be doing, right?"
Kaito blinked, clearly frown off by her statement. "Eeeh?"
"Hakuba's there, he's one of the best detectives that have chased him so far. The lousy thief doesn't stand a chance!" If Aoko was doing a little dance of excitement, she was perfectly within her rights at that moment. Kid was going to be gone!
Kaito scoffed, "Nowhere near as close as that 'Kid Killer' brat had come, so don't get your hopes up too high! It'd kill you to drop as far as that when Kid outwits the blonde ponce."
"I believe you're referring to me." Hakuba spoke from behind Kaito, startling him effectively enough that it lead to him turning around so fast he lost his grip on the ceiling. Or rather, the string he was holding himself up with did. He gave a meep of shock, and frantically refixed it to the ceiling with his feet, grabbing onto Hakuba's shoulders to steady himself.
"And so what if I am? It's not like you can beat him anyway!" Kaito, by this time had sorted himself out and detached himself to stand and look Hakuba in the eye, arms folded in determination.
Hakuba smiled enigmatically, "We'll see."
"Thank you once more, ladies and gentlemen, for allowing me the pleasure of your company, and of course, your possessions as well." Kaito grinned, and tipped his hat in the direction of the screaming crowds that were pushing aggressively at the edges of the police barriers not even metres away from his current position.
"Kid!" Came the roar of anger and frustration he had long come to associate with Nakamori, accompanied by the intense drumbeat of a whole squadron of likeminded coppers determined to grab him and handcuff him to a jail cell. They wouldn't succeed, but it was the thought that counted for the task force in the end when going up against someone like Kid.
"It would appear, most unfortunately, that I've overstayed my welcome." Kaito drew his cloak about him with a relaxed smile, then let off a smoke bomb. He changed into a darker outfit as he ran towards the roof escape, stuffing the Kid uniform into various pockets and slits made for that express purpose. No one noticed him from the crowd due to the angle of his escape, but Hakuba wasn't part of that group and for just a fleeting moment managed to see his form disappearing in the direction of the roof. That moment was all it took.
Hakuba ran after him, dodging straight past the stampeding task force in his path to the thief's shadowy afterimage. "Oh no you don't…!"
When he found himself at an emergency staircase, he followed in the direction he knew the thief was likeliest to travel in. The roof- where he always partook in that ridiculous ritual of holding the gem up to the moon before disappearing into the night like the phantom thief he claimed to be. He frowned, he would catch Kuroba this time and make certain that he was kept under the best locks money could buy for his life and more. Maybe today would be the day he finally got the answer to why his classmate moonlighted as a modern, hang gliding Arsene Lupin instead of, say, a gamer like the rest of Tokyo's teenage populace.
When he finally caught up to Kid, the thief was holding the gem he had stolen up to the round full moon. The blonde detective remained silent for a moment, watching him carefully, before deciding to take the plunge before he lost his nerve.
"Why do you do that?" He wasn't expecting an answer- he just wanted to ask it.
Kid whipped around, surprise on his face. "Do what?"
Hakuba almost stopped there, but decided that if he was going to do this, he was going to do all of it in the best way possible. In a moment, he had schooled his features into his usual cocky smirk."The holding the gem to the moonlight- it's almost ritualistic."
Kid turned his full attention onto him, and Hakuba found himself struck by how little his classmate bothered to hide his face. From a distance the shadows from the excessive top hat rim, and the glare from his monocle and the flashes of cameras would combine to make little other than the mere outline recognisable. Close up, however… There was very little stopping those distinctive cheekbones, the jawline, eye shape or other valuable knowledge from being taken in easily. Yet he still couldn't get a conviction even with the evidence on full display...
Kid tapped one gloved finger against that damning undisguised chin, drawing Hakuba's attention once more. "Well, I suppose it's just how I do it. Nothing wrong, is there?"
Hakuba grinned to hide the frustration his classmate always managed to bring into him with the endless monologue of riddles and non answers that was any conversation with him. He stepping towards the object of his anger, trying to close the distance. "You need a motive for any crime, magpies like yourself tend to have something in mind beyond kicks and a show."
Kid shrugged, moving backwards in response to the movements. "I don't need one, it's not like grand larceny is a crime, anyway."
Hakuba carried on walking, moving Kid closer to the edge of the roof so that he could finally corner him and get the answers he wanted properly, in the form of a true confession the courts might accept. "It is when I catch you!" He lunged forwards, trying to place handcuffs onto the wrists even though he knew it wouldn't work for long from past experiences. Something in him was just very frustrated with running around at gone midnight, digging through lore for endless riddles and hidden meanings that made GCSE english exams look simple, all for a classmate who he had evidence for but couldn't do anything to convict!
That something in him also, somehow, managed to forget the rather important fact that they were on a roof. He had a moment of satisfaction when he felt the locks click, before he began falling. Hakuba felt the air punch him in the chest and for a moment he felt disappointed at himself, for breaking the unspoken rule of no one
Then he realized it wasn't the air but the impact of Kid's arms on his chest as he pulled into his hang glider. His voice only cracked a little when he found his breath again. "K-Kid?!"
"Don't sound so surprised. It takes rather more than being pushed off a skyscraper to kill me, you realise."
Hakuba fell silent, understanding the truth in his words. He sighed, taking in his position . He was being held diagonally across his torso (a fairly safe way to hold anyone), and his lower half was just dangling beneath him like spaghetti. He tried looking up to see that face that he knew wasn't a disguise, but he ended up headbutting Kid's chest instead. This had the unintended effect of causing them both to lurch to the side violently.
"Tantei-san, trying to throw us off course may increase the chances of death even if I do happen to be immortal."
"Sorry."
Hakuba decided to try to just avoid moving for the rest of the undetermined length of the trip, letting the view wash over him. The moon was casting an intense glow on everything, blueish hues changing the hard metal skyscrapers into something otherworldly. It was a clear night, with no clouds and a fairly strong wind blowing, perfect for hang gliding.
For just a moment, Hakuba found himself relaxing into it. Perhaps there was something to the thief's activities, but the view made it almost worth it. Almost.
1754 Words Pre A.N
A.N.
SO. This is a gift for LadyShadow26. The original plan contained Snake, less logic, and Hakuba and Kaito getting shot. Your welcome, readers to direct the praises to the god that is caffeine and noticing the clock saying 00:02 and just not caring anymore. About 4 days worth was congealing into a mess which Disconsolate Mist, the awesome person she is, attempted beta ing for me.
I logged onto this at 10PM GMT on the 6th September 17 and decided: 'You know what? Lets revamp this. All of this. Nothing left, no time to reread or beta. Just. DO IT.'
4 hours later and now its done. Ish. Hopefully the title and summary aren't too terrible…
Oh yeah, and the prompt was: Kaito and Hakuba flying together. Post-canon.
Not my longest fic but its alright. Fell short but meh. Caffeine for blood is only so good for 1AM writing.
BCoH signing out.
(Review? Please?)