The spark for this fanfic comes from the question I keep asking myself everytime I read a mission scene in LLFTX: WHY don't the Black Foxes cover their faces on their missions? Yeah, Takkun deals with the security cameras and stuff but still! I especially wondered about this when I read Tatsuro's route. But anyway, on with the story!

True Identities - A Love Letter From a Thief X Fanfiction

Chapter 1: Life as Normal

"Congratulations on that top story, Ranko!" I exclaimed as we toasted with sodas at a cafe.

"Thanks, Kiyuki!" Ranko's smile was brimming over with joy. "I feel like I'm finally really establishing my name as a journalist. All these years as a blogger are bearing fruit at last." Ranko took a big bite out of her cake. "So, how are things with you?"

"Me?" I blinked. "Same old, same old. Things are going good with the museum and everything." I picked up my drink.

"Speaking of the museum, you know what I'd really love to do a story on? The Black Foxes. They haven't been in the news for a while."

I nearly choked on my soda. "Maybe they're just laying low for a while. It can't be good for a thief group to get any kind of publicity, can it?"

"I mean, yeah," Ranko agreed with a grin, "but that's what makes it a scoop!" She leaned in closer to me and dropped her voice to an expert whisper. "You swear when they broke into your museum you didn't see their faces? Not one?"

I avoided Ranko's eager gaze. "It was really dark that night..." It was dark in the museum that night. I didn't lie. I couldn't lie to my best friend. I just... couldn't tell her the truth either. I plastered a troubled smile on my face and glanced up at her. "It was kind of a traumatic experience, you know? Being alone when a bunch of thieves break in?"

Ranko sat back down. "Oh, shoot, you're right. And it wasn't that long ago either, I'm sorry. Didn't mean to sound insensitive."

"It's fine." I looked down at my cake again. It didn't look as appetizing as it did half a minute ago. I took another gulp of my now flat soda.

I'd always felt a tiny bit upset not telling Ranko about my involvement with The Black Foxes. She's my best friend. She's a journalist. It's not that I don't trust her - I do! It's just... dangerous for her to know. I haven't had to deal with this inner conflict for a while - not since the incident first happened 3 months ago. I felt guilty about keeping the secret, sure, but I had just pushed it to the back of my mind in light of everything that's been happening.

Time for a distraction.

"Hey guys!" I walked into Le Renard Noir super bouncy and cheerful.

"Hi there, Yu-chan!" Hiro greeted me, matching my bubbly entrance. "Did something good happen?"

"No." Sourpuss Takuto glanced up at me from his bowl of pork noodles. "Fake smile is gross."

"Takutoooo!" I kept up my act, pouting. "Can you please not say mean things today?"

Takuto grunted and pointedly slurped up some noodles.

I stuck out my tongue at him and sat down to the bar counter. "Hi, Kenshi!"

Kenshi replied to my childish greeting with a startled smile. "Hey there, Akahime. Congrats on whatever's got you smiling so hard."

"Thank you!" I slapped my hand on the counter top. "Can I have a pork rice, please, Boss?"

"Coming right up!" came Atsumu's cheerful voice from the kitchen.

"Ok, what happened?" Riki dropped into the seat on the other side of me. "Something's obviously not right with you."

I replied to our overly sharp leader with a silly grin. "What are you talkin' about? I just got a new lease on life is all!"

Riki gave me a knowing look. "Come on, Kiyuki. Anyone can see you're putting on."

"I am not!" I argued. "Is a girl not allowed to just be happy for no reason?" I immediately dug into my food the moment Boss put it down in front of me.

"If you were actually happy it would be no problem."

"I have no idea what any of you are talking about," I insisted, waving an overly nonchalant hand at Hiro's agreement with Riki's sentiment.

Boss looked down at me with an understanding smile as he shined a glass. "It's ok, Kiyuki. The boys just want to make sure nothing's seriously wrong."

I smiled. "I know, Boss." This happy act has always been a self-defense mechanism for me when my mind decides to dwell on inner conflicts. Happy outside deflects from conflicted inside. I think the guys are used to it by now as well and don't fight me to come out of it as much as they used to when I first joined the group. "I'll be fine."

"You'd better hope you will after this," came Takuto's harsh voice from behind me.

I blinked. "What do you mean?" I asked as I turned to face him.

"Looks like somebody couldn't keep their mouth shut about us." Takuto backed away from his laptop so we could all view the screen.

'WHY DON'T THE BLACK FOXES HIDE THEIR FACES?' was plastered in huge bold letters at the top of the screen.

"What is that?" Hiro asked as we all quickly gathered around for a closer look.

"Some online blog post claiming to know all our identities," Takuto replied as he scrolled down the article.

"WHAT?!"

We all scanned through the article, each reading standout fragments aloud.

"I won't spill the beans just yet," Hiro read.

"But all I can say is that all five male members are extremely pleasing to eyes..." A hint of red colored Atsumu's cheeks as he read that.

Without even looking up, Takuto grumbled, "Nasty."

"Even Boss?" Hiro commented quizzically.

"Hey!" Boss argued. "I am good-looking!"

"Saying that yourself?" Takuto quipped back. "Sad."

Boss pouted and I rubbed his back reassuringly. "Don't mind them, Boss. I think you're quite handsome."

"Thank you, Kiyuki." Boss sniffed a little as the other boys smirked before turning their attention back to the article.

"Check this out!" Kenshi exclaimed. "The new female member is quite pretty in her own right, and keeping up quite well with the boys despite having only recently joined the elusive noble thief group."

All our eyes went wide.

"How does this person know about me?"

Riki's face went stern. "Takuto, did you find out who wrote that article?"

"Mm. Right here." Takuto scrolled down to the bottom of the page and I nearly passed out.

'Written by Ranko Togoshi.'

"You just couldn't keep quiet, huh?" Takuto glared at me.

"I swear I didn't tell! I haven't told anyone! This has to be some kind of mistake!" I denied it vehemently. The whole reason I was upset today was because I can't tell her!

"So how'd she get all this information, then?" Riki asked, looking me directly in the eye.

"I don't know, but it wasn't from me!"

"She's your best friend, right? I get that it would be hard to keep such a big secret from someone you're so close to," Boss offered sympathetically.

"But I'm telling you I DIDN'T TELL HER!" I continued to insist my innocence, but there was no proving it. There was Ranko's name, clear as day, at the bottom of the pre-tell-all article with a picture of her to boot. The only thing it didn't do was call our actual names.

As the guys continued to bear down on me, I felt a pair of big hands rest on my shoulders. I jumped, almost on the verge of tears.

"I believe her," came Kenshi's voice from above my head. "She says she didn't tell. Togoshi's sister must've found out some other way."

"But the details, Kenny," Hiro said. "I want to believe Kiyuki, too, but there's no other logical explanation. How would she know that there's a girl in the group now? How does she know what we look like?"

"It's not from Akahime." Kenshi remained firm, like the big brother I'd always thought him to be in the group.

"Thanks for sticking up for me Kenshi," I said with a grateful smile.

"Ok, then. Say if Kiyuki didn't leak to her best friend," Riki mused out loud, still obviously not even trying to take my innocence into consideration. "Where else could she get information about us? We're airtight on covering our tracks before, on, and after every mission. Where'd she get the info?"

"A bluff?" Kenshi suggested.

"Deinitely not a bluff," Takuto countered, scrolling through the article again. "She gave physical descriptions of each of us - vague enough that it could be anyone on the street, but this girl knows specifics."

"So what do we do?" Hiro asked. "Drop a threat and pay her a visit?"

"No!" I shouted before I could stop myself.

"I know she's your friend but we can't risk-"

"No!" I continued in a calmer voice. "I... I'll talk to her. Let me talk to her first, please."

Riki went quiet.

"Please, Riki." I looked him right in the eyes as I insisted.

"...ok." Riki agreed after a pause. "But there will be some conditions."

Thanks for reading and please review! This fanfic is just a spark I have so any ideas to further the story are more than welcome. ^_^

~Casacadedkiwi~