Summary: Hakuba Saguru's life is influenced by others, just as much as he influences others. It's something he sometimes forgets. From one fumbling teen trying to figure out life to another, there are a lot of ways to say "Merry Christmas." /Hakuba-centric, HeiShin background/

GA: Just for the record, I hate this site's formatting so I'll probably be focusing on AO3 now, posting there and not often cross-posting (if at all). FFN does so much shit that makes it hard to cross-post anyways, it's stupid to even try, especially since most people on FFN are on AO3 nowadays anyways.

Anyways, aside from that angry little rant, I've got nothing else to say. This was a Secret Santa gift for muggle-the-hat on Tumblr, and I hope you enjoy it as much as they did.

Enjoy!

LIFE THROUGH PATTERNED GLASS

With the wind blowing and city lights twinkling below him, Saguru could almost understand KID's unnecessary predilection for rooftop escapes; even in the freezing winter air, there was something calming about seeing the rush under his feet, rather than all around him. However, the middle of a heist wasn't the time to sympathize with a master criminal, even if it was Christmas Eve.

"I do hope you're here to give me a gift and not arrest me, tantei-san. "

Ah, yes, the reason he was there in the first place. He glanced over his shoulder at KID, ready to whip out his handcuffs- before realizing that the jewel, the one he had apparently been meaning to steal, was nowhere on his person. Itcould have been stuffed somewhere on his body - a pocket, his pants or inside his suit perhaps - but KID was a flaunter. If he didn't show it off to the nearest detective, chances were he no longer had it. "It depends," Saguru drawled upon realizing it. "How do you feel about football?"

"I'd appreciate the call for a truce, but we're not in the middle of a war, and the last time I was hit by a football, I ended up with a concussion."

Saguru was surprised at how candid KID was being, and he almost laughed aloud at the thought. He was well aware of Edogawa Conan's tricky habits, especially since they were covered on the evening news on several occasions, but he had forgotten how many times KID had been on the receiving end of such a powerful kick. After all, Saguru wasn't KID's only detective.

He was just the best one.

"That being said, I could have sworn you were going to be in the foyer. It's usually not you I meet up here." KID didn't seem perturbed in the slightest, however, as he sat on the fire escape and crossed his ankles loosely. It was like they were having a real conversation- one that Saguru would never expect between him and Kuroba, much less his phantom thief counterpart. Maybe it was because it was - he glanced at his watch, 00:02:344 - Christmas, and KID was feeling generous, or maybe it was because he was once again looking down on Saguru. Probably the latter, in all honesty, but Saguru could only hope. "You weren't planning on doing anything rash, were you?"

"It's Christmas, and I'm not an idiot, " Saguru shot back; he was surprised, though, when KID didn't have an immediate retort. No I'd beg to differ, or oh, really? There was a brief pause, and it almost felt awkward, as if KID realized that he had been expected to say something and dropped the ball on what was a once comfortable conversation. "Regardless," Saguru picked it back up, "it's Christmas. I was feeling generous."

He wanted to see what freedom looked like. It was odd to admit, considering his intention was to arrest KID, but the nip in the air made him feel reminiscent. It was a time for family and friends, and as much as they both denied it, Kuroba was a friend. KID was a friend, one he knew next to nothing about aside from his identity. "Well your generosity sure is odd, tantei-san, " KID finally added. "What's next, do I get a life sentence instead of capital punishment?"

The question surprised Saguru, but the cynical tone of KID's voice was what shocked him even more. It was only half a joke- "Do you think I'm that indiscriminate to criminals? You don't deserve death." It was illegal in England, as it was, and even if this was Japan where it wasn't, his own morals stood strong. "...regardless of what others believe."

There was another pause, too long to be anything other than KID thinking over his response, and Saguru didn't blame him. After what seemed like an eternity, KID spoke again. "It's odd to hear that a man who wants me thrown in jail doesn't want me dead, but the sentiment is appreciated."

Saguru snorted. "You make it sound as if we've tried to kill you before."

"Nakamori-keibu has."

"What?"

KID didn't so much as offer a reply before he ghosted past Saguru, leaving him with an enigmatic grin. "It was nice to talk to you without all the cat and mouse semantics, detective."

"Don't just leave me on that-"

"Oh, and Merry Christmas."

He was trying to avoid the topic, something that wasn't supposed to have slipped past KID's lips, and they both knew it, but he disappeared as suddenly as he came, leaving no room for argument. Instead of an explanation, Saguru was left with a weight in his chest full of questions unanswered- and a weight in his breast pocket that he hadn't noticed before. He shouldn't have been surprised in the slightest when he pulled out the heist target - a bright emerald set in a golden brooch - along with a slip of paper, obviously written hours before their encounter turned sour.

Suddenly, the encounter felt less like a Christmas miracle and more like a Grinch-stolen endeavor. He regretted ever thinking highly of KID in the first place.

With a weary sigh, he pocketed the gem and made his way down the fire escape. Maybe Christmas day would be better spent than this.

Hohoho, Merry Christmas, tantei-san! Maybe you'll have better luck next year.

-1412

"Aoko-kun-" The greeting was punctuated by a loud yawn, "-Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas, Hakuba-kun! Are you planning on doing anything today?"

It was barely eight in the morning, on one of the few days that he was allowed to sleep in, and yet Aoko sounded as bubbly as she would be in the middle of the afternoon. "Not in particular, why?"

"Isn't it obvious? Aoko's inviting you to her Christmas party tonight!" Of course, Aoko wasn't the kind of friend to take no for an answer, and he laughed. Any invitation was more like a demand from his most outgoing friend.

"Of course I'll go. I wouldn't miss it for the world. Is there anything you would like for me to bring?"

"You don't have to! You're a guest, after all!" There was a brief pause, and Saguru could here the but in her voice. "If you want to, though, Aoko would really appreciate it if you brought some of your friends, too!"

"My...friends?" It wasn't as though Saguru didn't have friends outside of school; after all, he had to have friends to get in good with the police, even with his already-good reputation. It was the fact that Aoko brought it up at all that surprised him- and the fact that, once it was brought up at all, he realised he couldn't name anybody quite as close to him as Aoko and Kaito. "I'm not sure that's quite a good idea, Aoko-kun-"

"Aw, why not? You know all of Aoko's friends, Aoko wants to meet all of yours!"

He really couldn't say no to Aoko, and it was starting to be a glaringly obvious weakness of his. "I'll...try. It's short notice, though, I'm not sure if they'll even accept it-"

"But you're trying, and that's all that matters! Thank you so much, Hakuba-kun! See you tonight! It starts at eight, so don't be late!"

"Right, see you-" The phone clicked before he could finish his sentence, and he ended with a long sigh. One glance at his watch gave him a little under twelve hours to find a suitable friend - acquaintances was more likely, all things considered - and he was still in his pajamas. Cursing slightly, he hopped out of bed and tried to throw on a suit as quickly as he could, tripping on the carpet and earning a worried knock on his door from his caretaker.

"Bocchama, are you quite all right in there?"

"Yes, I'm fine-! Do you mind pulling the car around? I need to leave immediately-"

"Where to, bocchama?"

He paused slightly; he was so intent on finding somebody that he didn't know where to start. However, he didn't have many places to start, and so he said the first place to come to mind as he pulled on his shoes.

"Beika-chou."

In retrospect, getting a limousine ride to Beika to ask somebody he rarely ever interacted with to pretend to be his friend and accompany him to a stranger's Christmas party wasn't the most well thought out plan, but there were only so many hours in the day and Saguru wasn't going to risk his dignity by taking his time.

The only people he could turn to were in Beika, and so he found himself right outside of Poirot Cafe, looking up at the detective agency directly above it. He had limited interactions with Mouri Ran as it was, but Kudo Shinichi was currently unavailable for reasons unknown, and Edogawa Conan was probably too young to be considered a 'friend'. His options were slim, and he had to take what chances he had.

He trudged up the steps to the agency, trying to compose himself and hide his anxiety, but there didn't seem to be a need; as soon as he raised his knuckles to the door, it swung open, revealing Mouri Ran- she looked upset at first, but her expression soon morphed into confusion upon seeing somebody at the door. "Ah- I'm sorry, I wasn't expecting anyone today, we're actually closed- wait, aren't you Hakuba Saguru-san? What are you doing out here on Christmas?"

"Ah- yes, I apologize if my arrival comes as a shock, Ran-san." Her confusion just made him that much more self aware, and he cleared his throat, covering his mouth with the fist that had originally been made to knock on the door. "I was in town-" a bit of a stretch, but it technically wasn't a lie, "-and I was wondering if you would want to go to a Christmas party tonight? My friend is hosting it, and she's rather insistent on my bringing a plus-one."

Ran froze slightly - he didn't blame her, he would be just as stunned if an almost-stranger asked the same thing as he did - but smiled soon after. It was an apologetic smile, though, and so his stomach dropped the smallest bit. "I'm really sorry, Hakuba-kun, but I have to look after my dad tonight. He can get a little excessive on Christmas, and I don't want him doing anything rash, you know?"

Anything rash. He had to wonder if that was a common worry on Christmas, but pushed it aside and just nodded. "I understand. It was a bit of an odd request, anyways."

Before he could turn around and leave, however, Ran's eyes lit up, and he paused, ready for her idea. "I know! It's a bit of a way, but why don't you ask Conan-kun? He's, uh, visiting Hattori-kun right now, but I'm sure he would love to!"

A spike of disgust shot through him upon hearing the Osakan's name, and it was almost enough for him to not notice the hesitation in Ran's voice. Almost, because it was obvious to somebody who spent their life training to hear the inconsistencies in people's voices, but he didn't comment on it even after he did note it. As far as he knew, the Beikans and Osakans were close friends, and he didn't want to get between whatever feud they were having, if there even was one to begin with. "That's a great idea," Saguru nodded- he didn't have any other options, and Conan was intellectually capable of keeping up a conversation with teenagers, age difference be damned. "Thank you for telling me- although, if you don't mind me asking, why are you in such a hurry when the agency is closed?"

She flinched, putting on a smile; there was something she didn't want to tell him, and he regretted asking. Curse his curiosity for getting the better of him. "Oh, I just have to pick up some items for dinner tonight, you know how it is! If everything's not done on time, then tou-san gets upset, and all!" Without another word, she slipped past him, turning the corner and racing off before he could get another word in edgewise.

He stood there for a moment, letting the feeling of a stabbed gut sink in. It was the same feeling he had gotten the night before, with KID on the rooftop. He had messed something up, something that he had no reason getting involved with in the first place. As it began to settle into every bone of his body, he turned back and walked down the steps, straight into the waiting limo. He ignored Baaya's concerned gaze, and instead stared out the window, wondering if a trip to Osaka was worth it when his Christmas just wasn't going anywhere good.

No, he had to. If there was one person he couldn't disappoint, it was Aoko.

He looked back up at Baaya, meeting her gaze, and tried to remain calm. After all, if he could do one thing-

"Can you drop me off at the station? I'm going to Osaka for a bit."

"Are you sure that's the right thing to do right now, bocchama?"

"Yes, Baaya."

-it was lie to himself.

Eight hours round trip meant this was most likely his last option; after all, he only had so many hours in the day, and it was already one in the afternoon by the time he set foot in Osaka. Fortunately, working with Hattori Heizo on several occasions meant he already knew the younger Hattori's address, and as much as he didn't want to, barging in to deliver a party invitation was the quickest - and probably most painless - option he had.

Unsurprisingly, considering Hattori's loud nature, there was already a ruckus as he walked up the front steps. He could only hear Hattori's voice, as the other seemed to be trying to hush him up, but he assumed that the other in question was Edogawa Conan, the reason he was even there in the first place.

"Ya told her- it's Christmas! Why did ya tell her on Christmas! Are ya stupid as well as sick?!"

There was a long pause, followed by the sound of scuffling feet against hardwood floor, followed by another long pause. However, it was now or never, and Saguru just wanted to get things over with before he ruined another person's Christmas. Knocking on the door, he was replied to with a loud, "Coming!", followed by loud footsteps approaching the door. It was yanked open, and Saguru wasn't surprised to see the face of one Hattori Heiji.

It was the hesitation on it that made him worry.

However, it soon morphed into the oddest mixture of relief and irritation as Hattori realized who was standing in front of him. "Oh great, just who I need ta see today. Whaddaya want, Hakuba?"

Saguru wasn't pleased to have to talk to the obnoxious Osakan, either, but his irritation was dampened by the confusion that rested on him after seeing Hattori's initial reaction. "I was wondering if Edogawa-kun was here. Ran-san said he came to visit-"

He was cut off by a loud sneeze, and a familiar face popped up behind Hattori's- given that he was tall enough for his head to peek over Hattori's shoulder, however, Saguru knew perfectly well that the person in question wasn't Edogawa at all. "Ran said what? I don't remember telling her anything." Kudo Shinichi sneezed again, and Saguru was frankly more shocked at his existence than at his words. Trying to get a hold of the teenage detective was like catching a ghost, and now he was just...here.

"Yes, well, I just wanted to let him know that he's invited to Nakamori Aoko's Christmas party in Ekoda if he so chooses." Really, he didn't have to explain much further; between two high school detectives and a genius elementary schooler, they should be able to figure out that his intentions are harmless and he just wanted to invite them to a party. "Kudo-kun, are you quite all right? You look pale..."

"It's nothing, just a slight fever. Always happens around this time of year." He sneezed again, the blanket around his shoulders coming up to cover his mouth, and grimaced slightly. "I'll pass the invitation on to Conan-kun. He's, er, with some of his friends right now, but he should be back later."

Saguru nodded; of course Edogawa needed social stimulation from kids his age, not just other teens obsessed with solving murders. "And do you mind if I ask why you're here, Kudo-kun? There are people who are wont to consider you a modern-day cryptid at this point. Namely Ran-san, if I recall correctly."

"Ah..." He hesitated slightly, something that Saguru never thought he'd see from a detective who was always so sure of himself - and his deductions. "It's Christmas, Hakuba-san."

"And?" It just further confused him, how simple the explanation was to Kudo when he didn't understand it at all. Was it some Japanese tradition that he didn't know about? Perhaps he had missed something in the culture shock-

"Christmas is a lover's holiday here."

Saguru blinked.

"A...lover's holiday?"

"Yeah, a lover's holiday." Hattori interjected, almost defensively, and Saguru looked at him, finally connecting the dots. Kudo, and Hattori, and a lover's holiday- his face paled. Even the great Hakuba Saguru could be a moron sometimes.

"Ah."

However, it seemed as though his reaction was the wrong one, because Hattori was almost at his metaphorical throat in the next instant. "What, ya got a problem wit' that? Don't tell me yer posh British tendencies have been hurt."

There was a split second between Saguru asking himself what Hattori's problem was and realizing it himself, but by then the damage had been done. "I have no problem with that sort of lifestyle, Hattori-kun, I was simply surprised-"

"What, that we're in that sorta lifestyle? Ya weren't welcome here anyways, so I don't see why it's yer problem."

Gods, he had forgotten how...how confrontational Hattori could be, and now he was in the line of fire. Again. For the third time that day. He took a step back, bowing slightly; there was no point in ruining another Christmas with his big mouth. If he hadn't been having such a bad day already, he would've tried to both placate and fight the hotheaded Osakan for jumping to conclusions, but he just didn't have the energy for it today. "I apologize for the intrusion then, Hattori-kun. Kudo-kun, I'm sorry. I'll take my leave now."

He could feel Hattori's piercing gaze follow him down the street, as he made his way back towards the train station, and didn't stop until he had turned the corner, out of his line of sight. Finally, he allowed himself a moment of reprieve, and slumped uncharacteristically against the stone wall, covering his face with one hand.

He was officially the Grinch ruining Christmas for everyone.

Three down, one to go.

Aoko was going to kill him.

There was nothing more painful than the seven hours - the four hour train ride and then three more hours of thumb-twiddling - leading up until Aoko's party. He had gone so far as to call up every police officer he knew, but none of them wanted to go to a teenager's Christmas party; they were all either going out drinking with the rest of the precinct or staying at home with their loved ones. Saguru was almost jealous; he wish he had that luxury.

However, he had already promised Aoko that he'd go to the party, and so he was resigned to ruining the fourth Christmas of the night. With no plus-one, Aoko was either going to think he had no friends, or think that he hadn't even tried to find somebody to bring, and he didn't know which one was worse. That was the only thing on his mind as he dressed up elegantly, throwing on a hideous Christmas sweater - I've Been Naughty embroidered in bright green atop a red reindeer-dotted background - to try and blunt the shame that came with being the party pooper.

It was 8:05 when Saguru finally got the courage, and stomach, to knock on Aoko's door. It wasn't his style to be late, but today had been a long day, and the thought of doing something rash was growing more appealing by the moment as it was. Fortunately, though, Aoko didn't seem to mind, or notice at all, as she greeted him with a bright grin. "Hakuba-kun! You're just in time, Aoko just finished setting the food up!"

"Ah, right, that's good." He almost breathed a sigh of relief that Aoko didn't grill him immediately about his lack of a plus-one, but if he had, he would have had to take it back just moments later as she seemed to look around past him.

"Ah, are your friends late? That's okay! There'll be plenty of cookies for a while! Now come on in, you look freezing!"

Before Saguru could even explain that he didn't bring anybody at all - Ran was a confirmed no and, considering the incident with Hattori and Kudo, he doubted Edogawa would want to associate with him after that - he was pulled into the house and all but forced to forget about his problems for the next hour or so. Of course, that was easier said than done, and guilt clenched in his stomach the entire time, even as he watched Kuroba's magic tricks - nothing compared to his feats as Kaitou KID - and listened to slightly off-key teenagers sing karaoke for a good while.

However, not all good things were meant to last, and at long last Aoko sidled up to Saguru, giving him a questioning glance. "Your friends are really late, did you remember to give them Aoko's address? Did they get lost?"

Saguru flinched, and Aoko seemed to notice as her expression dropped. "Aoko-kun, the thing is-"

He was interrupted by the loud ringing of the doorbell, and Kaito shouted that he'd answer it, being the closest to the door at the moment. With a dramatic snap of his fingers, the door swung open, and into the room stepped-

-Mouri Ran?

"Hi, is Hakuba-kun here? I'm sorry I'm late!" There was a flurry of things ingrained into Saguru's memory at that exact moment- Kaito paled as he saw her, no doubt having been on the bad end of her karate a couple times- Aoko squealed, because she introduced herself as Saguru's plus-one or because she looked exactly like Aoko herself he couldn't tell- and Ran beamed Saguru apologetically. "Tou-san ended up going out with a few friends here in Ekoda, and I thought I'd drop by!"

Saguru was sure Ran would never understand exactly how much Ran had saved his hide, and so instead of explaining he just smiled at her in relief, letting Aoko unlatch herself from Kaito's side to introduce Ran to everyone. However, that relief was shattered by the doorbell ringing again, moments after the door closed behind Ran. Who else was going to be there at such a late hour?

This time, Aoko peeked through the peephole on the door, and let out a surprised gasp. "Conan-kun!" Saguru had forgotten that Aoko and Conan were acquainted - how well, he didn't know himself - and was also surprised that he was there at all. After what had happened, he didn't think Kudo would relay the invitation-

It made more sense, however, when the door swung open again and a particular Osakan was revealed, carrying Conan on his shoulders.

Hattori looked inside, saw Saguru, and immediately scowled; Saguru wasn't surprised in the slightest. What did surprise him, however, was Conan's angry tugging at his ears, causing Hattori to yowl and break his glare. Saguru resisted the urge to laugh, considering the resentment from Hattori was slightly well-founded (if only because of a simple misunderstanding). However, Ran, from the other side of the room, didn't seem quite as impressed.

There was a quick moment in which Ran strode up to Hattori, and Saguru wasn't sure what would happen; surely, he thought briefly, there was going to be a murder that night. However, after what felt like the longest second known to mankind, Ran simply nodded at Hattori, smiling. It was a stiff smile, but it wasn't fake by any means. If Saguru had to guess, she had already forgiven Hattori. She just had to forgive herself now.

Excusing himself from the punch bowl - where he had been loitering ever since Ran had come in - he walked towards the group, trying to appear in control of the situation. Of course, he was a wreck on the inside, but the worst had passed; Aoko was happy that Saguru had friends, and he didn't look like a fool in front of her or Kuroba. Now, he just wanted to sort everything out between himself and the Beikans. With his own problem solved, he was going to try and help solve theirs. After all, he felt like the cause for quite a bit of unnecessary strife that night.

"Hakuba-kun-" Aoko spoke up as he ushered Ran, Hattori and Edogawa out into the cold, but he simply shook his head at her; she didn't need to bear witness to this, and she had guests to entertain anyways. She hesitated slightly before nodding and closing the door on them, going back inside herself.

Finally, there was silence. A terse silence, and Saguru wasn't sure how to break it. In hindsight, he didn't even know if it was his to break. But somebody had to do something, and so he cleared his throat. "Ran-san, if you have anything to say-"

"Sorry." It was Hattori who spoke first, but he was looking pointedly away from Ran; Saguru was surprised to see that Edogawa was as well, staring up at the night sky as if trying to avoid the situation himself, despite not being a large part of it. "I dunno what I did, but I'm sorry."

Ran was silent for a moment, and Saguru took the moment to piece the parts together. It wasn't hard anymore, not when he was finally coming down from his own panic. Ran, Kudo, Hattori, and Christmas all fit together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle that had been clouding his mind all day. None of it was his fault, even if it had felt like it. But now that he was involved, it was his responsibility to help pick up the pieces. "You didn't do anything," Ran finally said, speaking slowly as if it was hard to say. Knowing the circumstances, it almost undoubtedly was, and he had to respect her for her words. "You don't have to apologize. I'm...just being selfish." Her eyes flicked up to Edogawa, for a reason that Saguru just couldn't understand, but she finally looked straight at Hattori, and he had the conscience to return the favor, turning to look at her as she spoke. "I'm sorry for being mad. You two are...so nice. I couldn't ask for better friends."

"Friends," Hattori echoed, and Ran smiled again. It was still tense, but she was trying, trying her hardest to be happy for Hattori and Kudo and break through her selfishness. "I'll at least make sure he calls more than once in a blue moon, a'ight? Idjit still needs ya more than ya think."

Ran actually laughed at that, a laugh that was stopped up only slightly by tears, before turning and bowing to Saguru. "I'm sorry for worrying you, Hakuba-kun. I shouldn't have lied to you, either."

"Lied- about dinner? Don't worry about it, Ran-san." It was his turn to laugh. "We all need our secrets sometimes." There was another brief moment of awkward pause before Ran excused herself back into the party, only glancing back momentarily - at Edogawa again, oddly enough - before closing the door behind her. That only left Saguru with Hattori and Edogawa, for a conversation that he was not looking forward to having.

Surprisingly enough, Hattori led it with another apology. "Listen, sorry 'bout blowin' up on ya. I still think ya deserve it-" that earned another yank on his ears from Edogawa, and he swatted at the kid on his shoulders, "-but I shouldn't've jumped ta conclusions. I know yer a...decent guy, I was jus' on edge. It's all new, an' yer known fer bein' stuffy, an'-"

"Apology accepted, Hattori-kun." His tone of voice was bland, but he allowed himself to crack a smile upon seeing Hattori glare at him again. "I apologize for wording it how I did. I should've known you were sensitive, and rash, and hot-headed, and-"

"Apology accepted, arsehole." Hattori scowled for a split second, but snorted soon after, and Saguru knew it was to cover up a laugh of his own. "I, uh, got ya somethin'? Consider it an apology present or somethin', Kudo forced me ta buy it for ya." He thrust a gift towards Saguru, much to his shock. However, he was pleased nonetheless, and cracked a grin at Hattori.

"Well then, tell Kudo-kun thank you for the gift."

Hattori opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by a loud sneeze from Edogawa. Saguru looked up at him at the same time that Hattori did, and frowned.

"Is it too cold for you out here?"

"No, don't worry, I just always get sick this time of year."

There was that phrasing again, and Saguru blinked once, twice, three times before the final puzzle pieces clicked together. Edogawa being sick, showing up with Hattori, why Ran kept looking at him- he laughed. It was a genuine laugh, one from his stomach instead of the short ones he had shared with Ran before. He was an idiot to not have connected the dots back in Osaka. "All right then, Edogawa-kun," he said, eyes twinkling; he was feeling much better, now that everything was sorted out and he had managed to deduce a secret out of the tiny detective child. "Still, why don't we get inside? It's cold out here, and the weather will only make your fever worse."

Edogawa froze perceptibly - he had said nothing about a fever - but stuttered an agreement and let Hattori take him inside. That was something they could talk about later, after the party and when everything was settled down. The wounds were still fresh, despite getting healed, and Saguru needed some time to come down from the adrenaline of confrontation.

However, the night wasn't done, and Ran rounded on him as soon as she spotted the parcel in his hands, upset that she hadn't managed to give her gift to him first. He was surprised at her force, but accepted the package regardless, which in turn led to Aoko giving him her present, and soon the party turned into an all-out gift fest. It was fun, relaxing, and much less gut-wrenching than an hour prior, to Saguru's relief. Hattori - Kudo - had gotten him a keychain with Benedict Cumberbatch's face on it, and Saguru was so touched that he didn't even mention that he hated BBC Sherlock. Ran's gift was one of Kudo's untouched deerstalkers, and he put it on immediately after unwrapping it, ignoring Kuroba's jeers and insults; with how Ran was looking at Kuroba, Saguru wouldn't have to do anything for him to end up with a broken arm. Aoko got him a hawk-themed bento, and he promised to use it every day for school- he also promised to show it off to Watson, seeing as the bird on top of the plastic shared his likeness.

And finally, when he thought everything was dwindling down, Kuroba tapped him on the shoulder with a letter. "Oi," his voice was low, and Saguru finally realized that he still hadn't made amends with KID, the reason his Christmas had started out so terribly to begin with. He couldn't just apologize to Kuroba, not in front of so many people, and Kuroba wouldn't accept it in private anyways, not when it would incriminate him as KID. Would it be better to wait until the next heist? Or possibly- "Hey, bastard, listen to me when I'm talking to you!"

"...apologies, what were you saying?" He tried to fix his emotions again, seeing the mess that they were starting to make in his head.

Kuroba simply rolled his eyes and waved the envelope in his face again. "This is addressed to you. It was under the tree, but there's no name on it, and nobody wanted to give it to you, so here, I guess."

Saguru took the letter from Kuroba's hands, and the magician immediately disappeared into the crowd again, much to Saguru's chagrin. Even when he wasn't KID, Kuroba had the oddest habit of leaving when Saguru needed him. Still, he turned back to the envelope, and was amused to see his name...spelled out with characters cut from various magazines. How very criminal-esque.

Already knowing that it was from KID, he didn't take any time whatsoever in opening it- as he expected, it was nothing but a letter, but it filled him with so much relief that he couldn't so much as formulate a thank you, even in his mind.

As enigmatic as KID was, a promise was a promise, and this was just the gift that he had so desperately needed. Closure.

"Merry Christmas to you too, KID."

I apologize for ending things on a sour note. However, I'm on vacation until New Year's, so I can't say what I want. Not in person. Not yet.

Next year, everything changes. I promise.

-1412