Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan.

Written in celebration of my birthday this month. Although this is rather... cheerless.


Morning sunlight gently peeps into a bedroom. Birds chirp, beckoning the start of a new day, as the mangaka next door shrieks in great desperation and the snores of the massif on a nearby balcony rocked the walls. Early commuters scrambled about outside, as one half-awake Kuroba Kaito detected the scent of a delicious breakfast.

It was so familiar, since this was just the routine. Every morning, he would wake up to this, but somehow, these moments were so precious, so delicate, so treasured.

"Kaito! Breakfast's ready!" came a call from the kitchen, as always. Kudo Shinichi, his room-mate, unsociable, curt and tart. But a small smile formed on Kaito's face as he made a big show of allotting Shinichi the chore of waking him up, dressing him and dragging him over to their own table, where there would be the warm meal. Delicious as always, Shinichi worrying about the hot coffee spilling in carelessness was well worth the bad habit of never being able to do such things on his own.

"See you later," Shinichi declares, while Kaito fusses over the tie. It's really amazing that he still couldn't properly wear it after so many years! Another priceless moment, as the two act like that newlywed couple, the one who just moved out a week ago. Another part of a never-changing routine. Another morning ritual. Another bit of bliss.

Shinichi ran off to his job as the police force's miraculous consultant.

Kaito would give anything to keep Shinichi besides him forever.


Noon arrives, with a new harshness in the sunlight. Commuters turn into lunchers as the smell of food wafts through the air. Kaito eats the lunch Shinichi prepared him this morning. The telephone rings and - sure enough - there was a bento forgotten on the counter.

Shinichi's forgotten it again, he did do that sometimes when the cases were particularly slow. Ah well, it couldn't be helped. Kaito ignores the phone and takes a bus over to the police headquarters. Shinichi knew that he got the message, anyway.

A feeling a trepidation overwhelmed Kaito, as it did every time. He, the infamous hacker 1412 could never be too careful in such a place. Kaito supposed he could always get a normal job, but his family, who Shinichi rescued him from, would never allow it.

"Oi you! You're here again, 1412!?" demands a voice, outraged. A familiar figure came into view, Detective Okuda.

"Calm down please, you have no proof that I am that hacker," Kaito replies. This continues until they reach the elevator, where Kaito forcibly pressed the "CLOSE DOORS" button before the detective could protest. Obstacle one, out of the way.

Obstacle two was right in front of him in the form of Inspector Date, the force's great female beauty. Or as Kaito though of her, the devil-woman.

"Kaito~," she purred, sending shivers down his back. Honestly, it would be nice if she could only be as distant and professional as she was to everyone else.

"Shinichi! Save me!" Kaito pleaded.

And his salvation came, with impeccable timing, to take the bento from Kaito, despite a glower from Okuda and many others.

"Thanks you," he would say gently, sending Kaito out to the bus station. Just in time to start the afternoon.


Afternoons were the worst, when the sun relentlessly beat down and sin hid in plain sight. This was when he was 1412, the merciless hacker, who stole code and secrets flawlessly. The one who could never be caught.

Today, he was to attack Yukimura Company, for signs of corruption.

The work was disgusting. It hurt so many people. But what else could he do? There was no way he could get an honest job, not with his sort of family after him, no way he could burden Shinichi, who had already lost so much for him, nowhere to run from the sins.

It didn't matter, as long as he could collect those priceless moments.


Evening melted into twilight before Shinichi came home and made dinner. After that, the two would talk about whimsical nothings, enjoying their shared opinions, discussing everything from shoelaces to national crime. This would end with Shinichi taking a shower, then going off to bed while Kaito took his own bath.

When Kaito comes out, Shinichi would always be fast asleep. His soft lips were slightly parted, a sweet half-smile gracing his face.

Softly, longingly, Kaito kissed him, his hand gently caressing Shinichi's cheek.

"Goodnight, Shinichi."

Lovingly, he picks up Shinichi's (now fallen) blanket from the ground and pulls it over him. Then he leaves, to retire back into his own room.

Unknown to Kaito, Shinichi's cheeks flush in the darkness, as he lay wide awake. His hands reach to touch his face. The places Kaito touched felt hot, the sensation lingering on his skin. How was it that such simple actions leave him so blissful? How could they leave him lusting so much for more?

Shinichi knew. He had known since the beginning about Kaito, everything from his father to his guilt and the nightly kisses. For Kaito's sake, though, he pretended that he was oblivious to all of it. Just so that he could continue believing that he wasn't burdening Shinichi. And then, they could stay together, Shinichi could protect Kaito, their shared love a painful secret.

[I love you.] [Don't ever go away.] [I want you.] [Stay with me just a moment longer.] [I need you.] [I'll do anything for you.]

These were the colors of their day.


AU: Okay, I should probably start explaining all these universes somewhere. So this one was an alternate universe based on an idea from a manga, where Kaito and Shinichi are room mates, with Shinichi working as police consultant and Kaito as a hacker (called 1412 for no reason other than to make some sort of connection to Kaitou KID) and he's running away from a yakuza family.