Can you believe it? Kaito's birthday this year is on Father's Day. What a move, Gosho-sensei, what a move. I'm surprised I got this finished in time. I started this at four in the afternoon. (Even though I've been outlining since last November)

Well, have some angst with a sweet ending (I promise it will be sweet) Happy Father's Day and condolences to those without someone they consider a father figure. Hugs and love to ALL of you and have a nice day!

Happy Birthday Kaito, Gosho-sensei and Sami! *Shoves Kaito into a trashcan full of sweets, sends get well cards to sensei and hugs Sami*

Warnings: Language and dysfunctional father relationship problems triggers.

Enjoy!

The scorching summer sun beat down on the earth, leaving everything scalding in its wake. The students of Ekoda High trudged through the June day with the enthusiasm of sloths. The cheap school fans merely blew unbearable hot air from one corner of the room to the other. Study hall was in session; however most kids felt talking was too much of a hassle, much less studying.

"He's never coming back with those drinks, is he?" Aoko let out a sigh of relief when Hakuba opened the classroom window to allow a meager warm breeze into the room.

"I will personally dump toads in his bag if he runs off." Akako smirked and pulled at her uniform top, crinkling her nose at the sweat clinging to it.

"I'd advise against that, Akako-san. They'll end up in my shoe locker before the end of the day." The British detective gave a short laugh as he ran a hand through his fringe.

"Oh?" The witch quirked an eyebrow and leaned in close. Her hot breath tickled his ears as she spoke. "Then, I'll have to apologize by spiriting you away home without your feet ever touching the ground."

"E-eh?" He blinked and backed away with a flush, causing the girl to chuckle with satisfaction. He shook his head to clear his thoughts and turned to Aoko.

"The juice at the school store is always overpriced anyways. Why don't we all get some at the convenience store after school, Aoko-kun?"

A sharp glint of realization flashed through Aoko's eyes and she jumped to her feet

"Ahhh! That's right, I'll have to stop by the convenience store before I get home. We're out of barbecue sauce and I need to have it tonight!"

"Are you making something special?"

Her lips curled into a smile as she nodded in excitement. "Yup! I'm making a special dinner for my dad tonight for Father's Day. I've been practicing it for the past few weeks. It'll taste amazing!" Her cheerful demeanor spread easily, causing her two friends to smile as well.

"What about you two? Doing anything for your dads?" She asked and Akako paused to think.

"Me? My mother had always told me that father was a tiny man not worth a thing. Frankly, I don't really care all that much about it. Hm, perhaps I will give Igor the night off? Maybe that imp can go visit his ghastly little troll children..." She trailed off thoughtfully. Hakuba and Aoko shared a confused look and decided not to question her strange words.

"A-ah, alright Akako-chan you make the most of your evening then! And you, Hakuba-kun?"

"I'll be having dinner with my father as well. He's been busy with cases lately and tonight's the first time he's free in a long time." Hakuba glanced down at his watch, looking the slightest bit nervous. He shouldn't be too worried about it, he reminded himself. Bayaa had assured him that the menu would be plentiful and exquisite, and that everything would be perfect. He hoped so too since he was skipping out on the-

Huh? He blinked and glanced at Aoko. But wasn't today...

"That's great that you can finally see your dad. You're always neck high in cases as well, Hakuba-kun. You should really take a break every now and then and hang out with us more."

"T-that would be great, Aoko-kun. But isn't today the day of-"

"I'm back!" The classroom door slammed open and Kaito walked in with a loud exhale of breath.

"BaKaito, we thought you ditched." Aoko scowled and looked at the magician expectantly. With a small flourish, he dropped one bottle of soda (with cold water droplets still sliding off the sides) on the desk.

"That's it? Thirty minutes for one can?" She squawked and held the cold beverage to her cheeks, shuddering at the relief it brought.

"Hey, you have any idea how many heads of hair I had to dye just to get one? That was one hell of a line. Be grateful, Ahouko. It's your favorite orange soda isn't it?" He wiped the sweat from his face and collapsed into a chair lazily.

"I guess...thanks." She punched his shoulder gently and opened the can, offering it to Hakuba and Akako (both politely declining) before taking long, thirsty swallows.

"Come with us after school Hakuba-kun, Akako-chan. Kaito will buy you drinks then. I have to get that sauce anyways." She grinned at the two after she emptied the bottle, drowning out Kaito's protests of 'oi, why do I have to pay for creepo 1 and creepo 2 here?'

"Sauce? Are you going to fail at making dinner again?" Kaito groaned and dodged a blow from Aoko's fist.

"Shut it, Kaito. You're coming over to dinner tonight, right?" She allowed a shy smile to grace her features as she looked to the side.

"O-oh uh sorry, Aoko I can't. Kid-sama is having a heist tonight, there's no way I can miss that."

There was absolute silence for brief moment. No birds chirped, no breeze whispered. No student spoke in this dreadful heat.

"W-what?" Aoko's soft, trembling voice finally broke the barrier and sounds returned all at once.

"A Kid heist, there's one tonight." Kaito repeated slowly, raising an eyebrow.

She felt as if something was crumbling inside of her. She had just stumbled off after a roller coaster ride, feeling winded and numb with nausea.

Ah, so it happens yet again. Her eyes are glued to the ground as she tried to keep herself from blinking. If she did, the dam would break free. Her insides were in knots as she comprehended the all too familiar situation.

A Kid heist.

Her cheeks burned in humiliation and her hands clenched around her skirt material.

It's nothing new to her. Her dad would be at work until midnight again. He would be eating a convenience store bento. He would be too busy to remember about the holiday.

About her.

"A-aoko?"

Kaito's voice reached her ringing ears and she blinked her watery eyes.

The tears fell.

Even Kaito forgot his... Even he would abandon her.

For Kid.

That god damn thief.

She exhaled shakily and glared at the floor. It's always Kid.

Her dad and Kaito.

They would both choose Kid before her.

"Fine, go to the stupid heist." She jumped to her feet and started to walk away, eyes still trained on the ground.

"Wait, Aoko what's wro-" His strong hand grabbed onto the sleeve of her uniform and she wrenched it away. Her cobalt eyes finally turned to stare into lilac ones.

"I hate you." She hissed and ran for the door. She didn't mean it. But at that moment, she didn't really care.

Kaito watched her leave in silence. His mind yelled at him to get his ass moving and go after her. But he stood his ground. What had he...

He turned to look at Hakuba and Akako. They gave him unimpressed glares in return.

"You are an absolute asshole, Kuroba." Hakuba sighed and gestured for the magician to sit down.


Kid was trying to isolate him.

Nakamori Ginzo was far from stupid. After so many years chasing the thief, he knew his patterns.

Kid hasn't tried this ploy in over a decade. What the hell was the bastard planning now?

All his officers had started to disappear one by one into eccentric traps that were suspiciously geared to leave him free but the rest of his task force incapacitated. None of the bratty detectives were around to screw things up either.

"Keep going, keibu! I'll be fine!" Tsukano (bless the veteran officer that he had shared all these years of service with) shouted from where he dangled from the ceiling, covered in glitter (did the Kid own a goddamn arts and crafts store?)

"I'll get 'im!" He swore and kept going forward. He was alone now.

Good, now he can't confuse me with his stupid disguises.

The inspector reached the rooftop without incident. This was frankly starting to worry him. It had only been fifteen minutes since the heist began. His senses were blaring, telling him to beware as he looked around the area. The summer heat had receded only slightly; the humidity made him squirm in his suit.

"Kid! I know you're out here. What the hell are you playing at?" He growled out, the warm air hitting his cheek.

"Rest assured keibu. There aren't any games tonight."

The voice came suddenly and he was thrown off guard for a moment.

The phantom chose that second to appear before his very eyes.

He's only two meters away! He readied himself to pounce but Kid raised an arm as a sign of truce. He raised an eyebrow; this was getting stranger and stranger.

"The hell you want then? I don't chase after you because it's tag time at recess." He whipped his handcuffs out with practiced ease and glared.

"Now stand still so I can drag your ass to jai-"

"I'm sorry."

"Yeah and apologize you fuc- wait what?" He sputtered and stared at the thief incredulously. His eyes trailed up and down to observe the thief's demeanor. His posture was stiff and there was no hint of jokes in his tone.

"I…a bond between a child and her father is very precious. She….she looks up to you; you're the first man in her life." He shifted, his back was straight and tense.

"Almost all girls have dreamed of marrying their papas when they were young." The Kid let out a soft laugh, his eyes seemed soft and nostalgic.

"You show her that she means something. You're the only one she has."

There was a change in the unfathomable phantom's voice. Nakamori was at lost with what to do. This was sounding too personal to-

Oh.

Oh.

Shit.

"And I'm sorry for stealing you away from your daughter all this time."

Kid's choked words reflected the conclusion he reached a mere second ago.

Aoko.

Dear sweet Aoko. The light of his life.

All this time, he had left her alone. He had even missed her birthday on several occasions. All because of his stupid job.

He had neglected the single thing in life that was most important.

The truth hit him like a tidal wave and he physically stumbled back.

What the hell was wrong with him?

"Shit, I've fucked up so bad." He groaned and pressed his hands into his eyes. She would never forgive him. A gloved hand landed on his shoulder.

"You should go home today, keibu. The most precious jewel is waiting there. Something that even I can't steal away."

The hand disappeared, and so did Kid.

The skies finally graced Tokyo with a cool breeze and Nakamori Ginzo stood in silence.

The doors burst open and his task force scrambled in loudly.

"Keibu, are you alright?" Tsukano bellowed even as he brushed glitter from his eyelids. They waited anxiously for their leader's response, looking around the roof in apprehension.

"….How many of you have kids?"

The officers held confused expressions, and they turned to stare at each other with questions in their eyes. Many raised their hands hesitantly.

"M-my Kimi is waiting for me at home, keibu." Sawada called out, a grin on his face.

"My Satoshi as well." Suoh yelled out from the back.

They all began to murmur names with fond smiles plastered across their faces. Wallets were being pulled out, and pictures of grinning children were proudly shown.

"Megumi-chan is waiting at home with my wife as well, keibu." Tsukano whispered to the inspector and Nakamori nodded absently with his own sad smile. He cleared his throat.

"Our work's done here for today. Go home." He announced loudly and the voices stopped.

"K-keibu? It's only seven twenty." Tsukano sputtered.

"We still have to do reports and-" Sawada began.

He waved his hand tiredly and they grew quiet.

"We'll deal with that shit tomorrow. As for now…go home to your kids." He laughed loudly and turned towards the staircase.

"….Happy Father's Day, men." He proclaimed loudly before continuing down. Time to fix something that should not have been a problem in the first place.

The sounds of realizations and phone calls back home filled the night.


She sat at the kitchen table, her hands pressed against her eyes. The meal she had cooked was still proudly displayed on the table, wisps of steam still floating towards the ceiling.

It's fine. She told herself even as tears welled in her eyes again. This isn't uncommon. It always happens.

It…

A sob escaped her lips and she cursed mentally.

"Kid, you b-bastard. Dad…you idiot." She sniffed loudly, desperately trying to stop the flow of tears.

Ding

She nearly jumped out of her skin when the doorbell rung. Wiping her eyes furiously, she headed for the door.

Who the hell could that be? She thought-her hopes soaring for a moment before she forced herself to think realistically- and opened the door.

"D-dad? I-I thought you were-" Her eyes widened in shock as she gaped openly, unable to finish.

Ginzo stood at the doorway with a sheepish smile, a hand rubbing the back of his neck.

"S-so, a little birdie told me that you had something nice prepared for dinner?" He stuttered and mumbled his way through the sentence. He wouldn't leave her like this anymore. He won't let her cry because of him.

She stared and stared. Could this….be true?

She smiled, a few stray tears falling.

"Yup!


He watched from his window with a small smile as Aoko hugged the inspector tightly with the most beautiful grin on her face. Nakamori smiled as well and ruffled her hair fondly before they both disappeared into the house.

He let out a soft sigh and turned away from the window. The room was dark and quiet. He stared at the takeout box in his hand.

"Sorry I can't cook like Aoko, dad. I guess this will do, huh?" He smiled at the portrait hanging on his wall.

There was no response.

The magician let out a soft laugh and his smile slowly melted away as he leaned against the wall, sliding down to the ground.

"...Happy Father's Day, dad."

No response.

This happens every year. He told himself. He shouldn't be too upset about it. His mother had already called him right after school. He had assured her that he was absolutely dandy and there was no need to take the first available flight back to Japan. He even went as far to say he had completely forgot about such a holiday, proving that he wasn't upset about it.

'It's been eight years. I'm alright, mom I swear.' He had told her, lying through his teeth. He had hung up on her before she could say anything else. He couldn't let her know he was near tears. His phone has been off since then.

And he really did forget. It wasn't until Hakuba and Akako yelled his ears out did he realized what a terrible mistake he had made.

Or maybe you did notice. The darker part of his mind hissed menacingly and he flinched. You noticed but you wanted the attention. That's why you stole the inspector away from her. You're absolutely selfish.

No...no...that's not true. He shook his head and refused to listen anymore. He leaned his head back and sighed. Pathetic and lonely. Way to make the most of your life.

"Kaito!"

He looked up and scrambled to his feet, wiping his eyes furiously.

Poker face poker face...

He pulled the sliding door to the side and sauntered onto the balcony, praying it was too dark for her to see his face clearly.

"What, Ahoko?" He yelled across the balcony, his voice only slightly hoarse.

"Dinner! Come join us!" She yelled back, spatula in hand. Her hair was pulled up in that adorable ponytail and he had the sudden urge to run over there and bury his face in it. Instead, he looked away nonchalantly.

"Nah! I have take-out already! Just enjoy dinner with your dad!" He turned away quickly and stalked back into his room, slamming the door shut before she could say more.

He collapsed onto his bed, food forgotten. His arms wrapped around his pillow.

It was better this way.

His grip tightened.

This wasn't the time to be selfish. She's supposed to spend time with her dad.

He curled in on himself.

It was better this way.


Nakamori held the unlit cigarette in his right hand nervously as he rang the doorbell with his left one.

When Aoko had come back to the kitchen, she told him how Kaito had declined dinner with them tonight. She also said something else that had him standing outside the teen's house.

The door opened and he blinked, looking at the boy in front of him. The hallway behind the teen was pitch black. In fact, none of the lights in the house seemed lit. Had he gone to bed early? Was he feeling sick? Concern flooded him in a way that nearly surprised himself.

Kaito looked shocked.

"Nakamori-keibu?" His voice cracked slightly and Nakamori could see the redness surrounding the teen's eyes.

"Stop calling me that, I had enough of police crap tonight." He sighed, running a hand through his thinning hair. Tonight, he was just Nakamori Ginzo.

"Aha...sorry, ojisan." Kaito smiled weakly while twiddling his thumbs. It wasn't often that he ever called Nakamori is such a familiar way.

They stood in silence, cicadas filling in the gaps.

"So...what brings you here? You should be heading back and having dinner with Aoko. She worked hard on that." The teen coughed softly, averting his eyes.

"And I know she'd want you to come over too." Nakamori firmly responded, his eyes boring into the boy's forehead. Still, he didn't look at him.

"I can't do that, ojisan." Kaito laughed, shaking his head.

"Why the hell no-"

"It's Fathers Day!" He interrupted sharply. "She should be celebrating with you...her dad." He trailed off, looking at the ground again.

"I have no place there..."

He had never seen the magician look so small and insecure.

"Tch, don't you fucking screw around." Nakamori growled and grabbed the boy by the shoulders.

"W-what?" Kaito squeaked at the sudden forwardness, looking like a certain thief; ready to fly away.

"And you think I'm just going to leave you, sitting in the corner of your room crying pathetically?" That was a low blow, but Nakamori let it slide without feeling too guilty. He needed to make a point.

He felt Kaito flinch and he let up his grip on his shoulders.

"I-it's just allergies." Kaito defended, rubbing at his eyes with a scowl and Nakamori decided not to push it.

"You don't deserve to be alone, Kaito-kun. Aoko's here for you...I'm here for you too, damn it."

"I'm not your son!" The magician's face was scrunched up in anger, his hands clenched into fists.

"I know you're not!" Nakamori yelled back and stepped forward, making Kaito back up slightly.

"I can't replace Toichi, I know that." He paused when he saw the hurt flash before the teen's eyes when his father's name was mentioned.

"But I've been watching over you for the past eight years. Does that mean nothing to you, brat?"

"Of course it does..." Kaito protested softly, looking away. It meant so much more than Nakamori could imagine.

"Then don't act like a stranger." Nakamori put his hand gently on his shoulder again.

"You're not alone." I'm going to be here for you too.

He stepped back, taking a deep breath.

"Come on, Aoko's hamburger steak isn't even crumbly this time." Nakamori gestured for Kaito to follow him.

There was a tense few seconds where Kaito stood very still, watching the inspector with bewildered eyes.

Slowly, the magician's lilac eyes regained their spark and he smiled.

"Of course they aren't. She wanted to make it the best Father's Day after all." Kaito closed the door behind him and locked it.

Nakamori chuckled and started walking back towards his house, Kaito following close by.

"It's not just for me, brat."

"Eh?"

They stopped walking and Nakamori whirled around to stare at him.

"Don't tell me you forgot." He gaped.

"...I'm not sure I'm following, ojisan." The magician looked genuinely confused.

"June 21st, isn't today your birthday as well?"

Kaito blinked wildly, looking up as if visualizing a calendar.

"Ah! So it is...I can't believe I forgot." So that's why Aoko was extra upset. That was probably what his mother was trying to say to him as well before he hung up. There will be hell to catch when he called her back tomorrow. He shuddered at the thought.

"Umm...oops?" He grinned in embarrassment.

"You're unbelievable." Nakamori murmured, shaking his head in exasperation.

"Ahahaha, I guess I was so worried about helping Aoko that I completely forgot!"

"Well, apparently she didn't." Nakamori recalled seeing his daughter bring out a chocolate cake from the fridge with a dejected look ten minutes earlier. That had prompted him to get up and get the magician.

"But...thank you."

He turned just in time to see Kaito give him a wide grin filled with gratitude.

He smiled and wrapped an arm around the teen's shoulder, the other hand went to ruffle his spiky hair.

"Happy birthday, brat."

"Happy Father's Day...ojisan."

*Throws glitter on you all* Well... it's still June 21st in some areas of the world so I'll count this as done just in time :'D As you can see, I am learning how to write happy endings. I can end stories without a completely broken Kaito hooray!

I was actually done editing this at twelve but doc manager was giving me troubles (Doc manager is no longer compatible with Apple apparently pft)

Happy Birthday Kaito and Happy Father's Day. Reviews are appreciated, thanks for reading!