title: kids in love
You've been stuck as Edogawa Conan for almost eleven years.
Somewhere in the seventh year, you became honest-to-goodness friends with Kaitou Kid. And now, every Wednesday night for three years without fail, you both turn up at Kudo Mansion. You sit on the roof, or sometimes in library if it's raining, and talk about everything and nothing.
…
"Y'know, we're pretty similar."
"Oh?"
"We're both lying to the people we love, keeping secrets from them. Hiding our identities. We're both fighting for justice, though I do it a bit differently. We're both trying to take down a huge criminal syndicate, possibly the same one actually. We both recently found out that the girl we thought we were in love with in more like a sister."
"Huh. I guess we are."
…
Another conversation starts when he comments on the state of your locks. He brags that he could pick them with both hands tied behind his back. You smirk. For a brief second, he looks afraid.
"How about a bet?"
"What kind of bet?"
"You pick my locks in under a minute, hands tied behind your back, and you win."
"Interesting… What are we betting?"
"If I win, you have to go to your next heist dressed in black."
"And if I win?"
"I'll come to your next heist dressed as a girl."
"Deal."
…
(Kid comes to his next heist wearing an inverted version of his normal suit. Nakamori seems to take this as a personal insult. You spend most of the heist standing in a corner, laughing. Later, Kid laments that he was five seconds away from winning the bet. You show him the picture that proves he was twenty-two seconds over the time limit. He pouts.)
…
This Wednesday the mood is somber.
Your graduation is in less than a week. It's a bittersweet realization. You finally get to graduate high school, do something new, move on with your life. And you have to do it as Edogawa Conan.
Kid tactfully avoids the topic. He talks about new anime releases instead. The second season of some show he's been trying to get you to watch for months (something about gangs and headless horsemen) is coming out soon. After a few minutes of chatter, he can tell you're not interested. He sighs and stands up, a cheery grin on his face.
"I'll see you next week, Detective."
He's about to step off the roof when you grab his arm. You shove a slip of paper in his face. He takes it from you and reads it once, then twice, then a third time. Confusion washes over his expression.
"What's this?"
"A ticket. To my graduation. Come if you want."
Kid says nothing. The ticket vanishes in a puff of smoke. He reaches over to ruffle your hair, grins, and then he's gone. You spend an extra half hour on the roof, wondering what made you do that.
…
You don't really expect him to come. But he does.
After the ceremony finishes a man with wild hair and laughing eyes walks up to you. "Congratulations, Detective." His smile is so sincere that it's strange. You're only used to seeing open mockery from him. This new, more open expression makes you think again that Kid is someone you'd like to try and get to know.
"Thanks."
He disappears into the crowd as soon as the Ran and the others show up. You're so busy being buried under congratulations and hugs that you don't notice until he's long gone.
…
Next Wednesday afternoon there's a knock on the door of the detective agency. You set down your book and open the door. Kaitou Kid, or rather the man who went to your graduation, is behind the door. He grins at you, practically radiating good cheer.
He drags you out the door and into the gently falling snow.
…
"Why did you pick me up? Besides, you're early."
"We're going on a date."
"A date?"
"Yep."
"Why?"
"The real question should be why not?"
"Uh, okay. Sure. Where are we going?"
"To get ice cream. Obviously. Ice cream is classic first date material."
"It's the middle of winter."
"Ice cream doesn't care what season it is."
"Well. You're not wrong."
"I'm never wrong."
…
Kid takes you to a little store called 'Summer Paradise'. Stepping inside is like stepping onto a beach at the height of summer. Which, you suppose, is the point.
You immediately shed your jacket and scarf. "What is this place?" You're pretty amazed. The inside is spectacular. Walls and ceiling the color of the sky. Worn hardwood floors that you're pretty sure are actually partially covered in sand. Bright decorations. Exactly like a beach.
"It's an ice cream parlor. Only open in the winter."
The menu is written on a chalk board in colorful letters. You study it for a minute before your eyes light up. "They have coffee. And dark chocolate!" When you turn around, Kid is smiling again. Not a grin, or a smirk. A real smile. You're not sure, but you think your heartbeat just sped up a bit.
"Wow. You're like a kid in a candy store."
You look at him seriously, "I am a kid in a candy story. Well, ice cream store." He laughs.
…
"What prompted this, anyways?"
"Well. I wanted to talk to you, but I also wanted ice cream. Best of both worlds, Detective."
"So asking me on a date was the obvious solution. Of course. I feel silly for asking now."
"Exactly."
1. they go to 'summer paradise' a lot. they're friends w/ like all the servers. most of them are girls working their way thru college bc the manager is like super feminist man who wanted a place for ppl who've had rough lives to work w/o feeling threatened and stuff. so you've orphans and abuse victims and just general victims or crime and bad circumstance. also kaito somehow knows the manager?
2. ai never finds a cure, but somehow conan finds he doesn't rly care. he likes his life, his friends, his family. he's not even that mad about the whole situation anymore. and he's got kaito, so how bad can it be?
3. kaito was so fucking nervous when he asked conan out, like shaking-in-his-boots-nervous. he thanks lady luck for his poker face every day. bc if conan knew how much courage it took to knock on the door that day, he would be teased within an inch of his life. (and then later be hugged bc conan is rly glad that kaito knocked on his door that day. so glad.)
4. the black org magically screwed off and left them alone, bc i didn't want to write them into the story.
an: idk what even happened. this is not the plot i meant to write. i have no idea where the fuck this ice cream thing came from. what even. but? yeah. it happened. i spent a good solid hour trying to come up w/ a name for the ice cream place. i wanted puns. it didn't work.