My beta is a real angel. She stayed up and managed the correction of a really rushed story fast enough to allow me to post it before Father's Day passed here where I am. You have her to thank for reading this story – as I didn't want to post it tomorrow and would end up most likely deleting it instead. I didn't even have the time to really re-read it, but hopefully, it didn't turn out too poorly~
But you didn't come here to read my excuses, so…
Without further delay,
Please enjoy and review~
Meeting you for the first time
Yusaku was the happiest person in the world when he first saw his newborn son. Or at least he felt like it. But now, one and a half month later, there wasn't much of that left anymore. He still loved the boy deeply, but frankly speaking, he was just terribly sleepy. The baby, his tiny Shinichi, still managed to spark joy in his heart, whenever he smiled, but for the most part, all he did was sleep, eat and poop. And wail. Oh god, how much he wailed! Yusaku sighed heavily. How he missed having a refreshing full night sleep. And apparently Shinichi was a calm child, or so he was told. The writer dreaded the thought that it could have been worse somehow.
He smiled softly as his gaze drifted to his sleeping son's features. No matter how tired the baby made him, he still loved him to bits. He just couldn't wait until the child would grow enough so he could actually interact with his son better. And maybe sleep longer than 2-3 hours at once. He rubbed his eyelids and walked out of Shinichi's room quietly in search for his wife.
Yukiko just walked out of the bathroom, after a much needed refreshing bath, when she noticed her husband tiptoeing out of their son's room. She grinned mischievously and crept quietly towards him on her bare feet, hoping to startle him. However, before she managed to grab him, he turned around with a smirk on his lips and pulled her instead into his embrace and a soft kiss.
"Mouu! Why can't I scare you?" she pouted once their lips parted. Not that she minded the kiss, being wrapped in his arms or in the center of attention of his loving eyes.
"Shh..! You'll wake up Shinichi again…" he scolded her and cast a careful glance into the room, but thankfully their son didn't make a sound. Yusaku exhaled with relief.
She nuzzled his cheek with affection. "Even if he does, it'll be my problem. You should get going if you don't want to be late."
He looked back at her. "You really don't mind if I go..?"
Yukiko leaned in closer, placing a chaste kiss on his lips. "You've been a very dedicated father, Yu-chan. I don't think Shinichi will mind it if you take a little break. And I've seen how interested you were whenever that thief sent his notice~" She chuckled softly. "It's enough that you held back from chasing him when I was pregnant. So go and chase your inspiration, since he finally showed up again in Japan~"
Yusaku smiled at her. "I love you, you know that?"
"I do~ And I know also that you will really be late if you don't hurry~"
He kissed her again and left hastily to not be late for the heist. The Kaitou 1412 was a particular one: not only did he leave notices in advance and be very punctual about his arrival, he also made a show to accompany his thefts. And above all, he always returned what he stole. Moreover, his notices were obviously a mark of genius, forcing even the brilliant writer to break his mind over solving them.
It wasn't easy to gain access to the announced heist, as the security was tight and the head inspector in charge did not appreciate outsiders on his cases. Yusaku had Megure to thank for speaking with Nakamori in his favor and convincing the man that not only the writer wouldn't interfere, but could also help with stopping the daring theft. Although frankly speaking, Yusaku was more interested in just seeing the thief's magic in person, hoping to gain some inspiration for his new book, rather than catching the man.
After he got to the museum, which would be the stage of tonight's heist, he got his cheeks pulled on so many times that Yusaku had to wonder whether his skin wouldn't come off. This felt ridiculous. Of course, he knew that the kaitou was a master of disguise, but there had to be a less painful way to check for masks. Maybe he would ask his wife for ideas when he returned home later. Rubbing his sore cheeks, he walked over to the man in charge.
"Hello, inspector," he called out with a smile. "Thank you for allowing me to participate today."
Nakamori looked back at him with sharp and suspicious eyes. "Hmph, you're welcome. We'll see if you're as good as Megure says you are. Just make sure to not get in our way."
"Of course, I'll do my best," Yusaku assured him.
The inspector glared at him for a silent moment as if he was trying to either intimidate or evaluate the writer before he broke the tension with a heavy huff. "Alright. Since it's your first heist, I guess you have questions?" he asked, obviously not happy about it.
"I actually do, if you don't mind…" Yusaku took out a notebook and a pencil from his pocket and started asking his previously prepared questions about the thief's habits and details of previous heists.
He already had looked into the reports about the international thief, but those were mostly written with a dry language, devoid of emotion and details that the person writing them deemed unimportant. Some of them actually had little relevance to capturing the notorious thief, but they held a lot of value for Yusaku as a writer. After all, it was the tiny things and mannerisms that made a character feel real. However, there was something bothering him as he spoke with the inspector.
"Actually… don't you have a name for him?"
Nakamori raised an eyebrow. "A name?"
"Yes. Don't you find it a little bothersome to be using a number all the time?" It also felt somehow undignified for the writer to call such an inspiring miracle-maker with anything other than a proper name.
"Humph! As if there's a need for that! We'll catch him soon enough, so we don't have to worry about that," the inspector announced proudly.
"I see…" Yusaku replied, diplomatically not mentioning that the police were already failing to catch the man for two years and, with what he managed to gather from this interview, it didn't seem like they were anywhere close. But he didn't want to enrage the short-tempered man, so instead, he continued with his questions.
After he finished talking with Nakamori, there was some time left until the heist would start and there wasn't much for him to look into in the museum. During their interview, they walked around the place, so the inspector could make sure that everything was in order and the writer could get a hang of what was about to happen. The plan seemed pretty much foolproof and Yusaku had to wonder whether the kaitou could really avoid capture this time.
The writer looked down into his notes. The lack of a name was still bothering him. Flipping through the pages, he hummed to himself, wondering how he would name the thief if this was a character in his book. Initially, he thought of something haughty and menacing, but after hearing out about the man from Nakamori, Yusaku felt like it wouldn't fit. With a smirk, he looked at the name he scribbled before: 'the Night Baron'. It didn't fit the thief, but maybe he could use it for his own book? His gaze drifted to the way he scribbled 'Kaitou 1412' and frowned. His writing was a little illegible, due to haste he wrote it in and it looked more like…
"Kaitou KID..?" he mumbled out loud, deciphering the numbers into a word. "Hum… this actually has a nice ring to it…"
"Indeed it does," said a velvet-like voice behind him.
Yusaku spun around with his eyes wide and noticed a man in a white suit, who bowed before him in an elegant manner, tipping his equally white top hat, accompanied only by a soft ripple of cloth as the pristine cape swayed behind him. The writer, facing the criminal, opened his mouth to call the officers for help, but thought better of it and closed his mouth without making a sound. Yusaku realized that during his musings, he wandered off to an empty corridor, making it a rather dangerous place to be in with a criminal. But at the same time, it was the perfect opportunity for the writer to have a small conversation with the mysterious man.
The kaitou straightened up, showing a brilliant smile under a gleaming monocle. "My deepest apologies. I did not intend to eavesdrop on you, Kudo-shi, but I couldn't help overhearing the name you gave me."
"You know who I am," the writer replied with a small frown and braced himself to try and fend off the man's unquestionable attempt to knock him out. Yusaku wasn't all that well known, so this most likely meant that the kaitou planned to impersonate him from the start.
The man before him, however, made no suspicious movements. "What host would I be if I didn't know the names of my guests?" he replied as if it was the most obvious thing.
A small smirk crept its way onto Yusaku's expression and he found himself relaxing slightly. The rumors of Kaitou 1412 being a perfect gentleman apparently weren't exaggerated. "True that. So I take it that you like the name I came up with?"
White teeth flashed in an amused grin the kaitou showed. "I do~ And I would be most honored being called by it."
Yusaku grinned back. Wasn't it ironic that he ended up naming the international thief he came to capture? "Does this make me a father to you, Kaitou KID~?" he chided.
The man made a thoughtful hum. "I guess it does. Well then, I should hurry up and prepare a gift for you, seeing as it is Father's Day today."
The writer chuckled, narrowing his eyes. "I believe you should hurry anyway unless you want me to capture you."
"You'd have to see through me first." Kaitou Kid reasoned, keeping up the slightly amused expression. "Let's see how you fair in it~" The lights went off just as he said that.
Out of reflex, Yusaku reached out to get a grip on the mysterious man and felt his fingers brush over fabric. Unsurprisingly, he failed to grab him and as he reached around he could not find the man around anymore. He stopped then and held back his breath for a moment, hoping to hear the footsteps, but all he could hear was the ruckus the police were making around the museum. He clicked his tongue and as he was driving a hand over the wall, he rushed towards the main gallery where the heist target was waiting for the thief.
Much as expected, the blackout didn't last for long and unsurprisingly for Nakamori, the infuriating kaitou was standing right next to the pedestal, as if waiting for the lights to turn back on, before taking his prize. He raised a finger at a few policemen eager to jump him, but they ignored his silent warning and rushed head on… only to collide with a transparent barrier.
"I did try warning you…" he said quietly with a lenient tone, before giving his transparent prison a silent glance.
Ginzo smirked under his moustache, satisfied with seeing the thief caught in his trap. He was first worried that the kaitou tampered with the mechanism and it didn't work, but apparently he didn't, as it was proven by the unfortunate officers. His joy however lasted short, as the man finished with his brief inspection and impassively turned to glance over the jewel's casing. He didn't even reach out to the pedestal, before turning back to his audience, swooping his cape around and tipped his hat.
He nodded politely towards the inspector. "Nakamori-keibu, it was a pleasure. As always. But now I shall take my leave." His teeth flashed briefly in a small grin.
"What are you talking about, you lunatic?!" Ginzo demanded with anger, but the man didn't reply and the transparent cage started filling with smoke.
The inspector huffed, crossing his arms. Through the radio, he made sure that no one fell to temptation and opened the trap. It was obvious that once the smoke dissipated, the thief would still be inside. Hearing hasty footsteps behind, the inspector cast a glance only to notice the writer running back and staring wide-eyed at the smoke-filled glass prison.
"Took you long enough, Kudo-san. Doesn't seem like your assistance was needed," Ginzo sneered, keeping one eye on the man and the other on the cage. It was suspicious that Yusaku was absent up until now and Nakamori wasn't taking any chances.
"My apologies…" the writer mumbled, gasping, obviously not meaning what he said, too focused on the view before him. "What happened here?"
"Just as I predicted, the Kaitou 1412 slipped behind my men during the blackout and completely fell for the trap. This must be his last resort, but it's not like we're taking the bait and letting him out." Ginzo explained with a predatory grin, already imagining himself clapping cuffs over the infuriating man's wrists.
"I see… And how are you sure he's still there?" Yusaku asked and tried to get closer to the glass, only to be stopped by the inspector stepping before him, frowning. "Inspector? Ow!" he complained and tried to fend off Nakamori's hand pulling on his cheek.
Satisfied with his check, Ginzo let go and shrugged. "You can never be too careful," he mumbled instead of giving an apology and growled. "And of course he's inside! Where do you think he could have gone to?! He's just hoping that we will give in first and let him out, but I can assure you that there is no way out for him."
Yusaku looked back at the smoke-obstructed prison and frowned. From what he read about the white-clad man, it appeared that he was an adept magician and a genius. It didn't feel right that he would resort to such a pitiful trick. There was something else bothering the writer as well. He glanced up, noticing the tiny vents, which Nakamori told him previously about. With the pace of the smoke flowing out through them, the inside of the cage should have been long clear enough for them to see what was going on inside. Apparently the kaitou's smoke bombs were still emitting the gas, but why? What did he need to do for so long without them seeing? Maybe he was really just playing the waiting game with-
Yusaku broke his train of thought as the realization came. He looked around and smirked, noticing all of the guards gathered around the cage, staring at it. It seemed that everybody was here. He spoke up slowly.
"I believe he is no longer there. He must have already fled and left this smoking cage as a distraction," he said, his eyes flashing around the room, thinking… Without another word, the writer's smile suddenly widened and he took off towards a corridor leading towards the staircase.
"Hey! Get back- ah whatever…" Nakamori snorted with annoyance. He was curious what the guy was up to, but there was no way in hell he'd miss the moment when the smoke finally cleared. "Hida, Hiruma, Akodo!" he growled at three of his men who were unfortunate enough to stand near their commander, "Follow that Kudo guy and make sure he doesn't do anything to blow this arrest!"
The miserable growls were cut short by Ginzo's heavy glare and all the three men could do was to salute and follow the order. The inspector was mildly amused with how disappointed his men were. They followed him for those long two years and probably did deserve to see the Kaitou 1412 captured, but he couldn't afford to take any chances. He frowned at the smoke-filled cage. There was no way the mystery writer was right, right..?
Meanwhile Yusaku panted heavily, as he ran up the stairs towards the roof door. The distraction was enough to allow the kaitou to steal something else, but according to the reports, the man never stole anything valuable unless he had said so in his notice. This meant that he had to have another reason to want to have the police away. And then KID's parting words echoed in his head. It was a challenge. The man knew beforehand that he would be coming, hence how he knew his name. And he prepared a stage that they could face off without disturbances. He wanted to see whether Yusaku could break from the enchanted crowd, predict where he would go and manage to get there in time. He crashed into the door, swinging it open, and grinned widely, while holding onto the handle and struggling to catch his breath.
"Ah, Kudo-shi! I'm thrilled you could join me here," said the white-clad man with a pleased smile on his lips. He was standing on the ledge with his cape flapping behind him like a flag. The wind was certainly strong enough to carry him on his glider.
Yusaku smirked back, despite acknowledging defeat. "It would make me a rude guest if I didn't. How long will it take for the smoke emitters to stop?"
"Oh, a couple more minutes. I really hope that Nakamori-keibu won't be too depressed when it does," he said with a slightly worried tone and conjured the jewel he had stolen before out of thin air, only to raise it above his face and admire it in the moonlight.
"Was it the pedestal? Or a moving panel on the ceiling?" the writer asked, acting as if he didn't care for the gem nor KID's bizarre behavior.
The kaitou hummed quietly, keeping his features expressionless, but instead of answering, he flicked the jewel away and tilted his head slightly to the side. "Is my explanation really what you require?"
Yusaku held back from chuckling. It was rare for him to feel challenged like this. "A magician doesn't reveal his tricks, huh? Then what will be the gift you promised me earlier?"
"A surprise? Or maybe not so much. Tell me the next time we meet," he replied with a soft smile on his lips and tipped his hat, before leaning backwards and falling off the roof right in the moment when three officers managed to open the roof door with a loud clang.
Kudo rushed towards the edge and managed to catch the moment when the glider snapped open, carrying the kaitou away from the museum. That was a little disappointing, but intriguing at the same time. He turned towards the stunned policemen.
"I believe you should tell Nakamori-keibu that KID had already left."
"KID? Who is that?" Hida-san, if Yusaku remembered correctly, asked with a frown.
"Oh, excuse me, I named kaitou 1412 like this, hope you don't mind. It might make things easier when talking about him. And he approved of the name as well~"
"Haah?!" the three officers shouted in unified shock.
After a rather long explanation and wondering whether his eardrums weren't permanently damaged as Nakamori shouted at him for letting the thief get away, Yusaku was allowed to take his leave. He didn't have many expectations when he first came to the heist, but he certainly did not expect to get nearly outsmarted. He smirked, thinking about the white clad man – with how he played the police, it was definitely fortunate that he only worked in theft and always returned what he stole. The writer wondered when tonight's jewel would be returned, but it did not matter to him much. He was more curious about what the surprise that the kaitou mentioned was...
Still unsure what to make of it, he wanted to turn around and leave, musing over everything that happened, but froze the moment he put his hands in his pockets. Holding back a laugh, he cleared his throat.
"Inspector? I'm really sorry for all the trouble I might have caused, but at least this time KID didn't get away with his prize~" he explained and took out a small jewelry box out of his pocket and opened it, already knowing what was inside.
"Haah?! Why the hell didn't you say so sooner?!" Ginzo demanded, snatching the box out of his hands and inspected the thing carefully.
Yusaku smirked. "Well, you didn't exactly allow me to speak."
Nakamori glared at him for that, but stayed quiet for a change. Kudo didn't comment further either, pretty certain that now he should have little trouble gaining access to future heists. He recalled the moment when the lights went off and he managed to brush against the kaitou, pretty certain that it was then when KID passed him the jewel. Pretty bold of him to believe that the writer wouldn't find it earlier. Then again… there were probably enough distractions. He wondered what would the kaitou have done if he had not passed the test. Whatever his plan was, it did seem as if he was handled an invitation from the thief to capture him. How could he say 'no'~?
As he soared through the skies, Toichi allowed a tiny chuckle escape his lips. Truth be told, after two years of his criminal activity, he was getting actually kind of bored with the lack of challenge. It did seem that there were people rooting for his night-persona, but he wanted to have someone to amaze "on stage." Unless he had a challenge, it felt like a waste to use his best ideas and thus not be able to utilize them during his official performances. Meaning, he needed someone to push him to the limits. Which is why he was thrilled to learn that the brilliant writer showed interest in his heists and attempted to take part in one. And apparently, the rumors about the man held at least some truth to them. Kudo Yusaku did turn out to be an interesting man indeed.
Breaking out from his thoughts, he spoke into the small microphone, telling his faithful assistant that he would be landing soon. With one last glance around, to make sure that he was not being followed, Toichi turned towards where Jii was waiting for him.
The older man rushed towards his master when he touched the ground. "Toichi-sama! I understand that everything went well?"
"Naturally and even better - I got to meet my father and Kaitou KID finally received a name~" he replied with mirth dancing in his eyes.
Taken aback, Jii raised his eyebrows. "Your father, sir? And who is Kaitou KID..?"
Toichi laughed at that softly and winked at his assistant. "That would be my new stage name for my late night performances. It's only natural to call the person who granted me my name my father, no?"
Finally understanding, the older man chuckled as well. "I suppose~ But speaking of fathers…" He lowered his tone, making his voice sound more serious, but the smile did not leave his face. "I have news about Okusama…"
Poker-face back in place, Toichi arched his eyebrow, not showing any signs of alarm that statement caused to bloom in his heart. "Oh? What did my wife come up with this time?" Because one could never be certain what would Chikage do next, that was what made her so interesting and amusing to be with. He would, however, preferred it if she limited her ideas now that she was pregnant, especially with her labor looming near. She really should take it easy for a change…
Jii's smile widened. "When you departed Toichi-sama, her contractions started. She's in the Tokyo General Hospital right now."
The magician's well-trained expression did not change as he heard the news, but his whole figure had frozen solid for a brief moment. Could it..? "Why didn't you tell me sooner?" he asked with a steady voice, not reflecting the storm raging inside of him.
The assistant dropped his gaze. "I'm sorry… Okusama forbade me to tell you before the heist was finished, as she did not wish to trouble you, Toichi-sama."
"Of course…" he mumbled, already moving with fast pace towards the waiting car.
"Toichi-sama..?" Jii asked warily, surprised with the blank expression on his master's face and then he heard the car ignite. "Ah! Toichi-sama! Please wait..!"
Toichi rushed to the hospital without sparing much thought to anything else. If not for Jii, he would have most likely even forgotten to change his clothes in his haste. But now, as he stood on the threshold of the room where his wife and now his child slept, he found himself unable to move. He swallowed thickly, staring at the shaded figure in the bed and didn't know what to do, overwhelmed by a maelstrom of emotions.
Suddenly he heard a quiet mewl from the bed. A child's sleepy cry. His child's. His son's. As if touched by a magic wand, he moved. His long legs which were used to swiftly carrying him throughout numerous heists, lead him to the side of his beloved wife's bed. He leaned over her slowly and carefully reached to the child's cheek.
"Shh... It's alright little one. Don't cry. D-" His throat clenched and he overcame it with an astonished huff. "I'm here, don't be scared~ My little miracle…" The profound master of the poker face couldn't hold back the wide smile that forced its way from the depths of his heart onto his face.
The infant made a small noise and looked up at him with blurry eyes. Toichi held his breath, not wanting to scare the tiny child. After a few quiet moments, the child wrapped his tiny fingers around one of his father's and calmed down closing his eyes again, dozing off. Toichi grinned again, still staring at the most precious treasure he ever laid his eyes on. He was startled by a soft chuckle from his wife.
"Should I be jealous..~?" she asked softly, tiredness breaking through her tone.
With loving eyes, Toichi looked back at her and leaned to leave a soft kiss on her chapped lips.
"You were never more beautiful, my love," he whispered softly, his mustache tickling her lips.
Chikage chuckled and shifted into a more convenient position. "Liar~"
Her hair might have been a tangled and sweaty mess, her skin sickly pale from exhaustion, but in his eyes, this beloved woman could never look more beautifully than now - with their newborn son in her arms. But instead of saying that, Toichi smiled at her.
"I wouldn't dare to lie to you. Not after you performed such a miracle, my dear." His gaze drifted back to the tiny figure in her arms.
Chikage smiled back at him and adjusted her hold over the baby to pass it to her husband. Startled, he took a small step back. She chuckled at his aghast expression.
"Come on, don't tell me you're afraid of your own son~?"
The infant grumbled again, moving in her arms and apparently waking from the disturbance. Toichi huffed a laugh and walked over, taking the child and cradling it in his arms. The baby opened its eyes again, startling its father with how beautiful they were. Like two tiny and most precious jewels he has ever seen.
"Hello, Kaito. I'm your father," he whispered softly, realizing how fitting the name was for the tiny boy who effortlessly stole his heart already.
Cuddling this greatest treasure to his chest, Toichi made a silent vow to always protect him from any harm. The magician looked up at his wife and made the same one for her. He swore to find Pandora and release his family from the dangers that came along with it. He would manage it, even if it killed him.
Yes, I am aware that in canon it was an unnamed reporter who mistyped 'Kaitou 1412,' and this lead to Yusaku reading it as 'Kaitou KID,' but I thought this way it would be more fun. After all, this allowed me to make this story into a triple Father's Day ;)
Hope you don't mind this slight change~
And now I'm going to sleep xD
See you next story *bow*
