Birthday fic for Addy01 who requested the theme 'tears', 'KIDCon/KaiShin' and 'it doesn't have to be sad'. I hope I managed to live up to your expectations! Happy Birthday!
Not betaed
...
It was the thrill of the chase, the adrenaline soaring through his veins turning everything sharp and focused. His heart fluttered in excitement and joy at the sound of footsteps, swearing and the springing from an activated trap. The price of today's heist – a blue-purple tanzanite – bulged in his pocket as he flew up the stairway to the rooftop.
The lights of the city illuminated the night and he had no need to activate the infrared light on his monocle or squint to see clearly. Overhead, the sky was clouded and – to his dissatisfaction, obscured the light from the full moon. This would be the last time he trusted the local meteorologists.
Kuroba Kaito could feel the anticipation in the atmosphere from the streets below. It trickled across his skin in an almost rejuvenation embrace and filled him with boundless energy. It felt almost like magic, and he knew if he approached the edge and was spotted the cheers and chanting of his alter-ego's name would drown out all other sounds.
Kaito glanced backwards, however there were no signs of pursuers from the short glimpse he got from the corridor as the door clicked shut. He strode from the shadows and into the light, his mantle fluttering behind him from the mild breeze. His heart fluttered in anticipation, had anyone solved his puzzle?
He had picked this building specifically, as the luxury hotel housing an international art convention was divided in the middle to make space for a large garden and a rooftop pool. Three towers loomed around it and he could have picked any of the four lookout points to flee from. Nakamori Ginzu was no fool, and had put guards on each to report back to him personally if the phantom thief was spotted.
Speaking of which…
There was a buzzing from the inner-pocket of his jacked and he fished out a radio.
"Report east tower, east tower can you read me, over."
"This is east tower, it's pretty quiet here, over," Kaito responded with a soft crawl in a perfect imitation of the guard he had knocked out hours earlier – he would later be found tied up in a cupboard on the 18th floor.
He drowned out the rest of the droning of the walkie-talkie as the inspector continued interrogating the remaining guards for their reports, and placed the stolen radio on the floor. He had no longer any use for it.
There was a soft click from the door as someone was trying to sneak up silently, and Kaito would not have noticed the faint sound had he not been expecting it. His heart fluttered again – now from a different kind of excitement, and a thrill of anticipation raked down his spine. Part of him knew he should be frustrated that the detective had cracked his riddle so easily. He had made this one particularly gruelling, knowing Edogawa Conan aka Kudou Shinichi would raise to the challenge.
The detective never disappointed.
A smile grew on his face as he commented offhandedly. "Sorry our rendezvous could not be more romantic, but the clouds are obscuring our special night."
He turned his face to the side to see the little detective's frozen form half across the roof as his presence had been acknowledged. Damn, he is fast.
Kaito imagined what a striking image he cut: clad in stark white that cut an impressive contrast against the darkness of the night. The wind ruffled his mantle and made the tip of his hat dip into his face, casting shadows every few seconds. He envisioned how the light reflected off his monocle, obscuring any readable expression and casting him in even a more mysterious light. The clover brushed against his chin as it was caught in the breeze.
In contrast, the detective looked anything but regal. His clothes ruffled from trying to push through the crowd of adults and creases where someone had grabbed after him. A single, yellow feather lay stuck in his hair, and KID grinned at the evidence that his adversary had not escaped his traps unscathed.
Standing ruffled and tiny clad in midnight blue clothing, he resembled the shadows creeping around them.
"Perhaps it is an analogy or precognition," Conan replied flippantly in defiance, the glare of his glasses cutting through the night as though they were an illuminating force on their own accord.
KID turned to face him fully, his customary grin plastered across his face. There were simply something alluring about the detective which had him constantly smiling in amusement. "My, my, Detective-kun," he purred the nickname with a teasing tone, "Aren't you well-mannered today."
Conan ignored the remark, his eyes flickering across the floor in search of snares or contraptions – observing and cataloguing everything in sight. The whole ordeal took mere seconds, however the thief knew that nothing had gone passed the scrutinizing gaze.
"Will you surrender quietly, KID?" Conan asked, his voice low and quivering with anticipation as they both knew the response. They had danced this dance enough times to memorize each starting step.
KID's grin grew on his lips, stretching almost painfully at the unspoken challenge with impudence. He lowered his voice and cast it out as it boomed across the rooftop. "Catch me first."
The detective did not spare a moment as he ducked down to release the contraption creating the footballs and KID made way to the edge of the roof as he unbuckled his card-gun. The metal thrummed in his grip as he shot a card in warning, and Conan froze for a fraction of a second as it sizzled a few centimetres from his chin.
The glare from Conan's glasses flashed again and KID could see his lips thinning in vexation. The football grew to an appropriate size and the thief shot another card to throw the detective off his balance before he could shoot.
KID moved backwards to give himself space enough to dodge – he only needed to elude twice, the football and the needle – and he was sure they would come in quick consecutiveness, the amount of projectile possibilities were few on the empty rooftop.
All Conan could hope for was a lucky shot.
There was a tug on his mantle as he moved to the side, and he scarcely managed to not trip. His eyes widened as he realized his mistake as he automatically turned his head to see the fabric stuck between the cracks on the reeling. If he pulled the fabric he might accidently tear it and lose his hang-glider. From the corner of his eyes he vaguely noticed a blurry contour and he only had a second to flinch backwards before a lightning-fast artefact collided into his groin, and he was propelled backwards into the concrete.
Throbbing pain flared through him, it spread from his abdominal like burning acid and he could taste bile and metal from where he had accidently bitten his tongue. His throat constricted and he could not even manage a silent cry from the excruciating pain. He curled into a ball, hands covering his groin to create the illusion of protection against a second blow.
He swore it felt more painful than being shot, at least then he had been able to move an inch. His thoughts had scattered into thousand pieces as all he could think about was the unbearable, throbbing pain that laced through him and made his muscles shiver in exhaustion. Tears prickled in his eyes, and he desperately hoped they would not fall lest he lost the remainder of his masculinity.
Kaito vaguely felt small hands tug on his arms before he was pushed to his back, a gasp escaped his lips as the vertigo made his head swim. He tried open his eyes, however the sight that met him was an undistinguishable blur to his senses as everything burned with the lacing pain. A few muted noises reached him, however he could not tell whether they originated from his whimpering or someone talking.
He blinked as a jolt went through him at the realization he was not alone. The detective was still there. He wanted to move, to flee – anything, as adrenaline pumped through him again, his heart leapt to his chest and only made the throbbing pain intensifying rather than subsiding like he thought it would.
Kaito finally managed to flinch as fingers groped his ankle. He tensed his foot, pushed it upwards in order to kick after his assailant as panic soared through him at his helplessness. Tears prickled in his eyes again, however for a different reason this time. Underneath the pain from the impact, swirled the terror of being caught and sentenced to jail without finishing his father's lifework.
"Stay still," groused a familiar voice and Kaito almost relaxed in response as the tone quivered with an unmistakable concern – concern for him. The hesitation gave the assailant plenty of time to remove his shoes – something which the thief only noticed as the cold wind bit into his unprotected toes.
Pain suddenly laced through his feet as something hard struck into the sole of his foot. He let out an involuntarily gasp in surprise and his body twitched to get away from it as nausea tickled in his throat from the still throbbing abdominal pain.
His attacker did not relent as they scuffled to strike him again from a different angle.
A whimpering growl escaped the magician's throat rather than a plea to stop as the pain was already unbearable. The haze on his vision suddenly evaporated and he could blink to gaze up at the small body standing above him, feet moving forward to collide against the thief's feet with a grim expression. The detective's lips were thin and Kaito was shocked to see the clear worry and guilt dancing across his face.
Conan's cerulean eyes flickered to meet Kaito's and there was an unspoken silence between them as they bored almost hypnotically into the thief.
The magician's breath had stopped hitching in his throat and he managed to take a full intake of much-needed air. He noticed the pain in his abdominal had subsided to an ache as the pain-nerves focused on the rabid beating of the neoteric stings Conan provided.
He slowly uncurled from his position and lay outstretched like a starfish on the dusty floor inhaling and exhaling air. The detective ceased his kicking and opted rather to loom over the thief. His shadow casting a darkness across the whiteness of his wardrobe. For a second, the thought that Conan had been correct in his previous remark – that the obscured sky had been a premonition – flashed through his mind and an amused laughter bubbled in his throat before dwindling into an exhausted breath of air.
He considered running, however he doubted he would get far with the phantom pain still lacing through him and his muscles trembling in exhaustion. The detective still had his anaesthetic needle, and he acknowledged the possibility of a more personal acquaintance with it if he tried moving. He parted his lips to say something to cut through the silence – something charming or perhaps a 'thank you' was appropriate – however Conan spoke before he could.
"I thought it would be a better solution to relocate the nucleus of your pain rather than 'kissing it away'."
A grin twitched in the corner of the thief's lips, and the detective must have seen it as a mirroring grin reflected down at him. He looked softer now, less feral and arduous – more delicate. His eyes dropped with fatigue – exhaustion from lying and keeping secrets, and Kaito wondered how anyone could confuse him for a seven-year-old boy. He looked older and more mature than anyone – except maybe Hakuba – Kaito's own age. He knew little about who Kudou Shinichi was and whatever predicament he had gone through to end up as a child again.
Kaito was curious, however he had no right to the tale.
"Can I have the kiss regardless?" he said as the silence lasted for longer than he was comfortable with, the words dancing teasingly across his lips and the detective's gaze darkened with an unreadable emotion. They were at an impasse, and the thief was afraid that he had lost, that his adversary had finally caught up with him.
The question remained. What was the next step? Would the detective call in for backup and arrest him, or knock him out and the next time Kaito opened his eyes he would be in jail. The thought send a jolt of dread raking down his spine and tensed his muscles ready to bolt if needed to, however kept the emotion from being visible in his face. He had to think fast or this would be his last breath of freedom.
However, first, Conan had to make a move.
The silence persisted and every second that passed increased Kaito's tension and nervousness. The detective did nothing more but to stare down at him with an unnerving gaze, an expression hidden behind the cerulean orbs which the thief could not interpret. The entire debate filled him with unease as Conan was acting out of character, and he could not hope to gouge what went through his adversary's mind. He felt like he was playing with chess pieces in a game of shogi.
"This is rather anticlimactic."
Kaito's eyes flickered back to meet the steady gaze of the detective as he spoke. His voice low and weary and lazed with discontent.
It made the thief's lips quirk up in amused bafflement as he had imagined a different take on the revival of a conversation between them. "We have all known from the start that only my own hubris would be the cause of my demise. We are all too clever for any other outcome."
Conan's eyebrow twitched upwards and a look of fond aggravation flickered across his eyes. "Who is to say I didn't won fair and square?"
It was the magician time to mock frown and he twisted his lip to a pout. "Kicking a guy in the groin is foul play, detective-kun. I demand a 'take two'."
That produced a moment of silence from Conan as emotions flickered across his features too fast to read, and Kaito's heart fluttered at the realization that just maybe, the detective was considering complying with his desperate request.
"It would be the gentleman thing to do," he tried, a tongue peeking out of his parted lips to moisturise them. He knew it to be a lost cause to ask, he was simply buying time to come up with a grand escape. He moved his fingers underneath the glove without stirring the fabric to inch his index fingers to his wrist where he could hopefully locate one of his many bombs.
"I assure you KID, I'm no gentleman," the detective's eyes darkened and once again there was an expression there that Kaito could not interpret. He wondered if Conan had always been so hard to read, as his thoughts were always hidden behind childlike manners. It was almost a perfect disguise in itself whenever he was around adults and the thief had seen the detective do some cringe-worthy action to cast suspicious off him.
However, whenever he participated in the thief's heists, the masquerade melted away and Kaito got a glance of his true nature – Kudou Shinichi peeking out from behind the mask. The magician could not imagine the exhaustion and frustration of keeping his identity hidden for every hour of the day – at least Kaito had the option of removing his disguise when the heist ended.
"What will it be, detective?" he eventually asked as Conan did not seem like he would continue. His eyes flickered in the direction of his adversary's wrist – the watch's contraption was still not activated, and he wondered if he could grab it before the detective had time to fire. "The dice is in your corner. A capture or a kiss?"
The detective seemed to falter, his eyebrows creasing together as he loomed over the thief. "Is that my only options?" he replied with a softer tone then intended and Kaito was surprised to see a flicker of a flush on his cheeks.
A grin grew on the magician's lips, he had only intended to rile the detective and was oddly pleased by the reaction. He was unsure as to the reason why he always flirted with his adversary, perhaps he secretly enjoyed the few times it made the detective flush and his eyes lightened up with an unnamed glow. The blush of his cherry lips and the contrast of the red in the pale face Kaito would have described as beautiful had Conan been ten years older.
In the present form, it made him look adorable and delicate.
His hands itched for a second to reach up and trail a finger across the flushed skin. To map the velvet skin with his fingertips and have the detective's lips parted in surprise or perhaps enjoyment as the puff of hear tickled the thief's palm. Kaito's heart fluttered again in his chest and an involuntarily warmth spread from his chest soothingly, removing all trace of the residue of the previous pain.
The realization that he would not have minded or even hesitate to press his lips against Kudou Shinichi's did not come as a surprised jolt. It came as a quiet whisper in the back of his head in a feeling of déjà vu, as though the thought had been there many times before. He swallowed thickly, hoping the sudden craving would evaporate, but now that it was in front of his mind, the yearning to reach out only intensified.
His mouth felt try and his eyes prickled suddenly for no apparent reason, and he felt a bubble of revulsion over the perversion of his thoughts. Conan was just a child in body, and he had never met the true Kudou Shinichi. Never stood face to face with the detective, but still his stomach churned with emotions he did not want to name.
Kaito admired him greatly, his wit, his drive to always be victories, his morals to always improve and be better in order to save his loved ones from the darkness of the world. The same drive the thief shared. They were so alike yet different, as though they were the different faces on the same coin. They had been drawn to each other from the get-go, Shinichi always found him and the magician always did his best to impress and amaze regardless of whether the situation required them to be allies or foes.
He did not want this to end just yet – was not ready for them to end, this game of cat and mouse they played. He decided, being caught had never been a valid alternative, and so he finally managed to grab the bomb smoke bomb between the thumb and the index finger.
Catch him off guard and escape in the confusion.
"I know which option I'd preferred," he had meant for the tone to be playful and teasing with mirth and as the detective flushed or groused in annoyance he would activate the bomb and dive off the roof – or take a detour to ruffle Conan's hair before leaving just for provocation.
It wasn't the case.
Instead, the words came out with a rush and laced with more sincerity and wistfulness then he would have liked, and rather than the purr he intended, his voice quivered ever so slightly. He wondered for a second what emotion his face was reflecting as it certainly was not under his control – sadness, yearning, hopefulness?
Whichever the case, it made the detective recoil and he retreated a few steps as utter surprise flashed clearly on his face, and all thought of escape suddenly vanished from Kaito's mind as he sat up abruptly, his heart racing with a mixture of panic and bleakness.
Why had his perfectly crafted mask of a poker-face forsaken him now that he needed it more than ever?
His hands itched out to reach for Conan once more, but he swallowed the instinct as nothing good could come off it.
Conan stood perfectly still, his oxygen intake short and controlled and the glare from the glasses obscuring any chance to gouge the expression in his eyes. His hands flexed once, twice before he finally spoke. His voice tight and slow.
"You can go."
Kaito stood, but gave no other inclination to leave. He stared down at the detective, now looming over the small child and the realization how fragile Shinichi looked in that body left a burning churning of his stomach. His eyes flickered in the direction of the reeling, this was his chance to retreat and remake his walls for their next encounter.
If there would be a next one that is.
Dread raked down his spine at the possibility of never sharing the thrill of the night with the detective ever again. If he left, then there was a chance he would never be able to clear things up. It was now or never, and he was not known for a daredevil without reason. He made to take a step forward, however Conan raised his palm to stop him as he must have read the tension in the thief's shoulders.
"We can't do this KID. Turn around and leave and we shall never speak of this again."
Kaito creased his eyebrows in confusion, the detective did not seem angry or filled with revulsion. Rather he sounded more tired and desperate underneath the tone of voice.
"And if I don't want to?"
Conan turned his head away, his lips thinning at the soft spoken words. Kaito could see the jaw flexing and tensing from afar from indecision, and he let his heart flutter again with hope. When the detective did not give an immediate response, the magician made up his mind and ate the gap between them as he gathered the small form into a tight embrace.
Conan resisted only for a moment as they both know it was a futile attempt. As things stood for the moment, Kaito was physically stronger. The detective felt warm against him, as though he was the warmth of the fire and the magician was simply a mesmerized bug doomed to ablaze as he flew closer. He could feel the boy's heart flutter against his chest and a tingle of electricity followed.
Kaito's arms started to shake slightly, however not of exhaustion, rather of pure relief of being so close without any hostility or adrenaline burning through their veins. In comparison, this was peaceful and for a second he imagined they were not standing on top of a rooftop with the police on his heels. That Conan was Shinichi and an organization was not gunning for his – or possibly their – head.
He fully expected the detective to order him to release him or for a dart to his neck. Instead, he felt small hands grip around his forearms before a head rested against the juncture between Kaito's shoulder and neck. The soft hair tickled against his skin comfortably and the thief nuzzled his nose into the locks.
Shinichi smelled of watermelon and citrus he assumed were from a children shampoo. However, underneath there were the hint of spices and vanilla of the detective's own scent. The fragrance felt familiar and calming to the thief's senses and if he had his choice, he would never let go.
The detective exhaled after a moment that felt as though it had lasted for eternity and no time at all at the same time. He lifted his head to gaze into Kaito's face, and the intensity of the look had the thief's heart leaping in his chest.
Shinichi's expression was open and light, no longer any strain from his masks visible as longingness was mirrored in both their expressions. A small hand came up to brush against Kaito's chin, the fingertips were light like butterfly kisses and a spark electricity followed in their wake. A breath hitched in his throat.
The detective lowered his gaze and his hand slid down slowly, the wistfulness in his expression turned into sadness as he spoke with urgency. "You have to go. We – we can't –"
Kaito stopped him before he could, he did not have the heart to hear the finished sentence. He understood Shinichi's reluctance, they both stood on dangerous paths and was unwilling to bring anyone they care for into the warpath of their true adversaries. Acting on their feelings would put the other in danger and the risk of exposure.
However, right now he did not wished to hear it. He wanted to bask a moment longer at the revelation that his feelings were not unrequited after all, that they were in the same boat with their longing. And that was enough, for now at least.
"I can't."
Shinichi's brow creased as a displeasure curled on his lips. "Kid," he groused in warning, and Kaito felt an involuntarily smile twitch in the corner of his mouth at how adorable he sounded even in aggravation.
"You misunderstand me. The dice is still in your corner," he let the grin blossom as understanding flashed across the detective's face.
Shinichi tried smothering his expression, but nervousness leaked through the mask. "You are saying –"
"A capture or a kiss," he supplied dutifully, however rather than the teasing tone he had used previously, his tone was laced with giddiness and hope. Of course, if the detective was too against the idea he would let him go without a fuzz. Nuzzling a six year old boy was odd as it was without adding romantic actions into the pot.
Shinichi's expression fell for a second and indecision read clearly in his eyes, his lip quivered for a second as the possibility raced through his mind.
Kaito did not move as he let the detective take his time with the request, and his gaze softened. Who knew the evening would come to this conclusion? He had certainly not seen it in the cards, his heart had been fluttering with excitement, anticipation, pain, fear and now with adoration and bliss – perhaps even love. It was a confusing affair and he was not sure how he would react in the morrow.
But for this short moment, he needn't worry about anything else.
Shinichi finally gave a short node as he finally came to a conclusion, and small hands cupped Kaito's jaw – the thief's heart accelerated in a flutter of anticipation – and he leaned forward, the breath whispering across the magician's lips producing a pleasurable shiver through him.
"The premise of your options is a fallacy, a kiss is a capture all in itself," the detective whispered with fondness lazed through as he sealed their lips together.
The kiss only lasted for a mere moment, but the tingling sensation and the taste would linger for days after, and Kaito could not disagree with Shinichi's statement. His body and soul still roamed free, however his heart had long since been stolen and captured without his notice.
Kaito could not find himself to mind one bit as he soared through the sky on his white, metal wings. He felt the burning gaze from Shinichi on his back and his heart fluttered again. Perhaps one day soon he would have no need to flee his detective and watch as he disappeared in the distance. He had acquired far more tonight that he could have imagined – the tanzanite 'The shared tear', a kiss, and a reluctant apology following him for the accidental hit in the groin as he jumped from the reeling.
Kudou Shinichi never stopped amazing him.
...
N/A: I honestly just wanted an excuse to kick someone in the groin, and it pretty much just snowballed from there.