Ok, so here is Chapter 2! The whole chapter 2 actually because this whole chapter is in Kaito's POV and I saw no reason (nor could I find any suitable point) to cut the chapter down into parts without one coming off as short. :P

Enjoy the chapter and please PLEASE PLEASE! review!

NOTE: italics are thoughts, bold is English, and normal text is Japanese.

Chapter 2: Incorrigible

Kuroba Kaito

Dinner was a rather boring affair in Kaito's opinion. His mother and the Falcon King talked the whole time while he and Hakuba ate in silence only talking when their parents asked them questions. Although, Kaito had to admit that he liked the elder Hakubas. The Falcon King and his wife were an interesting pair because even though Anna Hakuba could have been a little more engaging in conversation, she had a sharp tongue keeping her wits about her and had a lovely smile. Well now Kaito knew whom Hakuba had gotten his social skills from. Shame that the blond hadn't inherited his father's sense of humor though. Then maybe the girls in his class would have a real reason to twitter excitedly about the blond. Hakuba senior was obviously the livelihood of the family and Kaito found that he rather liked the exuberant man who strangely reminded him a little of his own father. Maybe it was because Kuroba Toichi and Hakuba Akira had been best friends and had grown up together.

Hakuba junior on the other hand was formal like his mother and extremely polite, speaking only when spoken to, making him… completely dull to the point where it was almost painful for Kaito. He felt like he was twisting the bastard's arm when trying to get the other teen to talk and even when he did speak it was in such a formal manner. If Hakuba hadn't made his one or two witty remarks during dinner Kaito seriously thought he would have been immensely justified in flicking his pudding across the table at the half-Brit just to get a reaction out of the guy.

After dinner Kaito and Hakuba were finally left to their own devices in a study of some sort to "talk" and to "get to know each other" while their parents retired to the den to do some catching up. It was a rather awkward first two minutes alone before Kaito finally couldn't take it any more.

"Why didn't you tell me?!" he hissed.

"Pardon?" Hakuba blinked, looking over at him.

"Don't play dumb," Kaito snarled. "You knew who I was even before we met at school."

Kaito had to be careful not to admit to his identity as KID even if this was a meeting as Shifters and not their human personas. He didn't know how much Hakuba knew about him yet, and even if Hakuba did know about him being KID he wasn't sure if that'd be used against him.

"Yes I knew who you were," Hakuba shrugged. "So what?"

"Why didn't you say anything?!" Kaito exclaimed.

"Didn't think I had to," Hakuba said mildly, sitting down in a chair. "I must say I was very disappointed with our first meeting at the museum after hearing such rave reviews about your KID heists. I honestly thought that you would have figured something out before now. I mean really, I wasn't hiding my Shifter traits as well as I could have. I even left hints and you still didn't catch on! I mean really."

Kaito gritted his teeth and ground them together in agitation. Ok, so Hakuba knew that he was KID too. Just how much of his life did Hakuba know about? Obviously it was a lot more than what Kaito knew about him.

"So you've been messing with me?" he demanded.

Hakuba shot him a wounded and slightly offended look.

"That had not been my intention," Hakuba frowned. "I merely wanted to see what kind of person you were without being tied down to Shifter regulations or as the Dove Prince. Surely as KID you can agree that scouting out a target and getting to know it's particulars before hand is often a wise decision. I wanted to see what kind of person you were and if we would be capable of working together. If you'd been in my position you can't tell me that you wouldn't have done the same."

Kaito blinked. He hadn't been expecting that and admittedly knew that he would have done precisely what Hakuba had if their positions were reversed.

"You still could have told me," Kaito grumbled.

"Like I said," Hakuba smirked. "I thought that you would have figured out something pertaining to my identity before now, but you seemed more interested in pulling your childish pranks."

Kaito groaned and ran his fingers through his hair.

"It's so obvious now!" he growled out. "I'd been sensing your predator aura, but it wasn't enough to give you away."

"I made you uneasy," Hakuba chuckled stating fact, not posing a question.

"But how did you mask your scent?" Kaito glared. "Aura suppression – which you can clearly do – I understand how I missed that, but I can clearly smell your Shifter scent now when I couldn't before. Why is that?"

"Think about it Kuroba-kun," Hakuba smirked. "Where was I standing when we confronted each other in the museum? Where do I sit in class?"

"What are you talking about? You were-!" Kaito frowned before groaning. "Down wind. You've always taken up a position down wind from me. Even at the museum I was standing by the window upwind from you. But even still! To mask your scent for so long during school-!"

"Is nothing for a highly trained falcon," Hakuba stated calmly. "When you're as well trained as I am at suppressing your Shifter aura, masking your Shifter scent with your human one is as easy as breathing. Like I said though, I left you hints. I didn't mask myself completely. I allowed my aura to leak out and even my scent a few times, but you were too busy dying my hair with those blasted smelly dyes of yours to notice. You were masking my scent more often than I was. I hardly had to try."

Now Kaito wanted to throttle the jerk because he was right and Kaito hated that.

"So," Kaito frowned. "What conclusion did you come to?"

Hakuba raised an eyebrow.

"You said that you were observing me," Kaito prodded. "Well?"

"I think that you and I are capable of working together if that's what you want to know," Hakuba chuckled. "Just leave your bag of tricks at home please."

"Well I don't know," Kaito frowned. "You haven't exactly given me a good impression of yourself. All I know is that you're obviously well trained in hiding your Shifter traits and that you're a clever bastard. You know quite a bit about me, yet I don't know much about you. You haven't exactly given me a reason to trust you."

"What do you want to know?" Hakuba asked.

Kaito rolled his eyes.

"How much do you know about me?" he demanded. "How much of my life have you stuck your nose in?"

Hakuba stared sadly at Kaito for a moment before staring out the window up at the moon.

"I didn't dig as deep as you apparently think I have," he sighed. "I know that you're the Kaito KID and that you took up the job after your father's death, but that's as far as I've looked into your personal life Kuroba-kun. I promise you. Other than that I just know your basic profile. You're birthday, blood type, favorite food, color, your fear of fish… those kinds of things. Things I could have learned simply by asking Nakamori-chan or through simple observation during class. I swear that I didn't pry any further."

Kaito flinched at the mention of those f-f-f…finny things, but he calmed slightly.

"That's still more than I'd care for you to know," Kaito growled.

"My apologies," Hakuba bowed his head sincerely, making it harder for Kaito to stay mad at the other.

"So where do we stand?" Hakuba asked, surprising him.

"What?"

"Where do we stand with each other?" Hakuba asked. "You know who I am now. How do you wish to proceed? I've made my move so that puts the ball in your court as it were."

Kaito pursed his lips and strode over to the window and stared out into the courtyard outside.

"…Let me get back to you on that," he sighed.

Weeks soon passed by after that intense and rather awkward meeting at the Hakuba house, but Kaito hadn't out right given the half-Brit an answer to his question on where they stood. Kaito for his part acted as if nothing had happened – although he had lightened up considerably on the pranks he played on the other. Hakuba responded in kind by maintaining his distance and acted as if they were nothing more than mere acquaintances. Neither boy spoke to the other more than was necessary but it wasn't until Kaito KID's next heist that the unspoken tension neared its peak.

"KID's got a heist this week it seems," Kaito drawled as a huge grin spread over his features, widening even further when he caught Hakuba's gaze. The half-Brit raised an eyebrow and gave him an "are-you-serious?" look.

"That stupid thief is gonna get caught this time for sure," Aoko claimed confidently from her seat in front of them. "Tou-san said that he's got a fool proof plan."

"Will it work out as brilliantly as his previous ones?" Kaito couldn't help but snicker earning him a smack upside the head with a mop handle.

"This time he'll succeed!" Aoko declared passionately. "And Hakuba-kun will be there to help him do it too!"

"Will he now?" Kaito scoffed trying to hide his discomfort. He didn't know why but hearing that Hakuba would be trying to catch him as KID again hurt a little. They were supposed to be allies after all, trying to work together in the war effort against the crows. Not fight each other… Though if he were to be honest with himself Kaito had to admit that he was hoping to find a challenge in the royal falcon heir. The KID Task Force was fun and all, but they had ceased to give him any real challenges after he became more accustomed to being KID. His skills and Shifter instincts gave him the edge that made his heists such a stroll in the park. Now if Hakuba was going to be present at all of KID's heists then Kaito was going to have to step up his game.

"Do you have a problem with that?" Hakuba asked with the telltale signs of a smirk quirking at the corners of his lips.

Kaito shrugged, a smirk of his own forming.

"Not at all," he shook his head. "It's just that I doubt that you'll be able to catch him. No one has yet to succeed in actually capturing KID during one of his heists. Some even say that it is impossible to do so and I'm afraid that I must agree."

Hakuba then leaned forward in his seat so that his lips were almost brushing against Kaito's ear. Hakuba's sudden proximity and warm breath against his skin almost sent shivers down Kaito's spine. He felt the muted yet still intense force of the predator Shifter focused on him and it nearly froze Kaito completely. This strange sensation almost made him miss what the other was saying.

"Is that a challenge?" Hakuba asked in a low voice.

Kaito could swear that there was a double meaning embedded in that question, but Hakuba's uncharacteristic intrusion of his personal space was messing with his thought process. This floored Kaito. He was used to all sorts of awkward situations and he'd certainly been in far more intimate positions with both males and females than this so how the hell was Hakuba doing whatever the hell it was that he was doing?! It was driving Kaito crazy!

Then suddenly the tension was gone and Hakuba was sitting back in his seat nonchalantly as if nothing had happened with his chin propped up on one of his hands. His eyebrow quirked up challengingly in that bothersome manner that Kaito was now beginning to despise. But what bothered Kaito most was that the absence of that indescribable tension left him feeling empty. How the hell was Hakuba having such an effect on him? This foreign sensation was both disturbing and thrilling at the same time. Just being in the half-Brit's presence was now providing a thrill that he had felt was missing in his alter ego's life.

Kaito only acknowledged Hakuba's question with a smirk and once Aoko wasn't looking it shifted into a full-blown KID smirk. Hakuba's answering smirk was half hidden by his hand but his eyes were intense and their gaze alone sent thrills through Kaito so much so that he even had to suppress a shiver or two. He was now looking forward to his KID heists. Hopefully Hakuba wouldn't disappoint.

He didn't. He never did either.

Kaito had always enjoyed his KID heists, but Hakuba seemed to add that missing thrill factor that had been lacking since his first few heists when he had been inexperienced and still learning to ropes of being a phantom thief. He was both annoyed and enthralled by the Shifter detective's presence. Hakuba was irritatingly good at seeing through his tricks so Kaito was having to constantly change his game plan – often mid-heist – in order to catch his fellow Shifter off guard and surprise him even if it was only for a moment. He always seemed to fail in tripping up the half-Brit. Hakuba's Shifter reflexes proved to be too good to allow him to slip up and get ensnared in all the traps that the KID Task Force was always falling for.

Yet somehow Kaito always managed to get away in the end. He was never really sure how, but Hakuba would always be on his heels up until a certain point at every heist. It almost became an unspoken agreement between them that if KID managed to reach the exit of whatever building was hosting the heist then Hakuba would allow the win to go to KID and end the chase. But of course KID became curious about this odd little occurrence in their quickly forming routine and one night he decided to actually stick around at the heist scene and wait on the roof to see if Hakuba ever bothered to see him off or if the detective would just head back down to help the Task Force out of whatever mess KID had left them in. While he waited, KID held that night's prize up to the moonlight so that he could examine the jewel better.

"Was it worth the hassle?" a familiar voice drawled behind him lightly with a tinge of an English accent.

KID shrugged.

"It's a lovely trinket, but I don't think I'll be keeping it long. I have much larger and more expensive targets to steal," he smiled. "Going to make any last minute attempts to apprehend me Tantei-san?"

"I think you already know the answer to that," Hakuba snorted leaning against the frame of the rooftop doorway.

KID smiled widely before bowing to his rival and executed a back flip over the ledge and into the open sky. He heard a light gasp before the wind whipped away all sound in it's rushing roar but when he snapped his hang glider open a moment later he was amused to see Hakuba standing near the edge of the roof looking after him with his eyes widened in both shock and relief.

KID landed a few blocks away from the heist building while the police were chasing another one of his dummies in the opposite direction. After looking and making sure that no one was around he began walking down an empty street until the phone in a phone booth a few feet away started ringing.

"For me?" He wondered before picking up the receiver. Why not? It wasn't as if there was anyone else around to answer it. "Hello?"

"Ha ha ha…" chuckled a deep crackly voice that sent shivers down his spine. "KID we have not talked for a while."

"Huh?" Kaito blinked. "Who are you?"

"Don't you recognize my voice? I warned you not to touch the jewel," the stranger on the other end stated. Kaito didn't like where this conversation was going.

"Jewel?" he frowned looking down at the diamond that he'd just stolen.

"You're lucky this time that it's not the jewel that we're also looking for. But, if you get in our way again, you won't just be putting your own life at risk."

"Huh?" Kaito blinked.

What was the man talking about? And what did he mean that he wouldn't just be putting his own life at risk? He couldn't help but feel a little nervous about the ominous phone call so he quickly changed out of his KID uniform into a disguise and headed home. Once there he set to work in planning out his next heist and soon forgot all about the strange phone call.

A couple days later at school he was excited again because he'd dropped off the diamond he'd stolen as well as his next heist notice off on Inspector Nakamori's desk late the night before. He knew that it was way too soon and he'd never done two heists within the same week before, but last night he'd finished preparing things for a trap that he was confident that Hakuba would fall into and couldn't wait another day to try it out. He was positively beaming when he read the copy of the notice that was printed in the newspaper. It seemed that he'd gotten it to the police in time for it to be printed in the paper at the last minute. He was so preoccupied with his thoughts on his next heist that he hadn't noticed Aoko storming up to him until she swiped the paper out of his hands.

"Hey!" Kaito cried as she then proceeded to crumple the paper up only to chuck it at his head.

"All you talk about is KID!" Aoko screamed at him. "You're making me sick of him!"

"A…Aoko?" Kaito blinked, shocked.

Even Hakuba looked a little alarmed – and the half-Brit was usually pretty good at maintaining a composed straight face.

"KID has stolen five items this month already," Aoko snapped, "and that means that my Dad hasn't slept much lately, especially with this next heist right after the one two nights ago!"

"No one told him not to sleep," Kaito scoffed.

"Kuroba-kun," Hakuba sighed in a warning tone but not in time to warn Kaito enough to avoid getting a mop snapped in two over his head.

"Humph!" Aoko huffed. "Today's my birthday but Dad still has to go chasing KID."

"Your birthday?" Kaito winced as he tossed aside the broken mop. Now he felt a little guilty. In his eagerness to trip up Hakuba he'd forgotten that today was Aoko's birthday and realized that he really should have waited at least another day for his heist. He'd just been so caught up in the preparations…

"Then you're fully seventeen today right?" he asked his best friend.

"Of course!" Aoko cried indignantly. "I'm already in the eleventh grade!"

"But your breasts, your hips and thighs…" Kaito sighed as he patted her down and flipped her skirt before deadpanning, "Aoko are you actually a male?"

As amusing as Aoko's gaping shock was, Kaito was secretly relishing the absolutely gob-smacked and stupefied look on Hakuba's face. It was the most emotion he'd ever seen on the half-English half-Japanese Shifter's face and Kaito was pleased that he was able to get such a strong reaction out of him. He was so preoccupied in his scrutiny of Hakuba's flummoxed expression that he was caught off guard yet again by Aoko as she sent him crashing in a heap into his desk beside Hakuba's. When Kaito regained his bearings and looked back up he noticed that Hakuba's facial expressions had slipped back into their neutral mask and that the other was now shaking his head at him.

"Now you've done it," the blond sighed.

"You are… too much!" Aoko panted, her face beet red and looking like she wanted to beat the crap out of him. "You've made me upset. I'm not going to invite you to my birthday party tonight."

"What? Your birthday party?" Kaito blinked before grinning and springing up to stand at her side. "Tonight I have a job to finish first, so I'll be a little late, but wait for me."

"You don't have to go if you're busy," Aoko scowled, trying to hold on to her anger.

"Don't worry. I'll show my magic tricks…" Kaito beamed as he began to pull something out of his uniform, "…to entertain everyone at the party!" he cried as the simple handkerchief exploded into birds, confetti, glitter and strings of flags. "Okay?"

Aoko looked surprised and awed for a moment before clenching her fists together in excitement and nodded, "Ok! Promise?"

"Do you want anything special for your birthday?" Kaito asked instead of answering.

"Um…"Aoko mused, previous anger completely forgotten, before chirping, "KID the Phantom Thief!"

"Huh?" Kaito blinked, shocked.

"I'd like you to bring KID to the party," Aoko smiled before looking thoughtful again. "But how come KID has to be a thief? For what reason does he steal things? He always returns whatever it is that he steals though. Why does he do that? Although he's popular, does he steal things because he enjoys doing it? He makes my dad look like a fool when he's chasing KID around…"

"Hey don't be too serious," Kaito chuckled weakly trying to ignore Hakuba's piercing gaze that had been examining his reactions to Aoko's questions. "KID's just an idiot thief."

"I won't forgive him!" Aoko declared rounding on Kaito. "I won't forgive a person who enjoys making fun of other people."

That said Aoko stormed off to her desk because class was getting ready to begin. Kaito stared off after her sadly.

"She'll never forgive…huh?" he muttered under his breath as he righted his desk and sat down.

He was in such a funk that he nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt a firm hand on his shoulder. He snapped his head around and found his eyes locked with Hakuba's. He hadn't expected to see the understanding and reassurance that he found in those hazel orbs. Then the moment was gone as Hakuba removed his hand and faced the front of the class with his usual stoic expression. Kaito started at him for a moment out of the corner of his eye, confused as to why Hakuba had attempted comforting him at all. It wasn't like they were friends. Hell! Kaito still knew next to nothing about the Falcon Prince other than he was quite the Sherlock Holmes enthusiast… but the sentiment of the gesture was not lost on him. As a way of unspoken thanks Kaito didn't play a single prank on the blond that day or crack any jokes at his expense.

When the final bell rang Kaito sensed that he was being followed but before he could try any attempt to shake the unwanted pursuer he ran into Aoko on his way out.

"Don't forget about my party Kaito!" she chided as she set off to join a couple of her girl friends that were heading right over to her place to help set things up for the party.

"I won't forgive him! I won't forgive a person who enjoys making fun of other people," her words from that morning echoed inside his head until 'him' turned into 'you'. "I won't forgive you!"

"Won't forgive me huh?" Kaito mumbled sadly.

"Are you just going to mope all day Kuroba?"

Kaito really would have jumped out of his skin this time if he was able to, but since he couldn't he jerked around startled. Oh he should have known that it'd be Hakuba of all people following him. What was up with today and people catching him off guard? If things continued this way he wasn't feeling too good about the night's heist after all.

"What's wrong with you today Kuroba?" Hakuba frowned. "This is hardly like you at all."

"Why do you care?" Kaito snorted shaking his head. "Are you actually worried about me?"

"Yes."

Kaito stumbled forward a bit before whipping around to stare at the other teen.

"Don't act so surprised," Hakuba chuckled. "Surely one is allowed to worry about the well being of one's allies? We may not consider ourselves friends Kuroba, but surely even as an acquaintance of yours and as your alter ego's friendly rival I am entitled to be at least a little concerned about what's bothering you."

"Ah," Kaito nodded.

For some reason, however, he felt disappointed in Hakuba's reasoning and confused as to why such a little thing bothered him. He knew that it wasn't the fact that Hakuba had said that they weren't friends – because they weren't – but acquaintances? That definition didn't seem to do their unusual relationship justice. Friendly Rivals was perhaps a better fitting title to classify how the two of them interacted but he still felt that it was a little more than that…

"Seriously, what's wrong Kuroba?" Hakuba frowned again. "Is it what Nakamori-kun said about not being able to forgive KID?"

Kaito flinched.

"Ah," Hakuba sighed, his tone understanding. "…You two are very close, aren't you?"

"Friends since childhood," Kaito nodded, turning back around to continue on his way home. He wasn't surprised that Hakuba continued to follow him.

"…Must hurt to hear that she despises your alter ego so much," Hakuba mused as he matched Kaito's stride and pulled up next to him.

"Not really," Kaito shrugged. "I know that she doesn't mean it most of the time. She secretly likes KID heists. The magic part at least. Won't admit that she likes it though because her father's law enforcement."

"…But she meant what she said today, huh?" Hakuba prodded.

Kaito nodded.

"…Maybe she wouldn't hate KID if she knew his reasons for being a thief," Hakuba pressed a little further.

"Oh really?" Kaito glared at Hakuba. "I suppose you'd know. About why I became KID?"

"Nope," Hakuba shook his head, managing to keep a straight face as Kaito's angry expression dropped away to one of shocked surprise. "I'm not going to ask either."

Now Kaito was just plain confused.

"Why? You did once before when we first met."

"Because I figured that if you wanted me to know your reasons, you'd tell me on your own," Hakuba frowned. "I told you a few months ago that I'd only dug into your background for what was necessary and that I wasn't going to pry any further. What you do in your human persona whether it's as Kuroba Kaito or as KID is your own business. …Though I have to admit that I am curious."

Hakuba raised an enquiring eyebrow in a silent gesture that left Kaito the choice to either give an answer or ignore the unspoken questions.

"…It's not what Aoko thinks," Kaito sighed, wondering if he was going to regret telling Hakuba this. "I've always respected her father and I'm not having fun stealing."

Hakuba raised the other eyebrow skeptically.

"…Ok, maybe I have a little fun," Kaito chuckled before his expression clouded. "I just want to find out… find out who killed my dad eight years ago. I know that whoever did it was from the Crow Clans but I decided to be KID because I want to make them pay. Those individuals who killed my dad… as long as I'm still being KID they will definitely show up one day, but before that time comes I will not quit being KID."

Things were quiet between the two of them for a while before Hakuba spoke.

"So you're using yourself as bait?" Hakuba asked in that neutral tone of his.

"…Pretty much," Kaito nodded.

"That's very dangerous," Hakuba frowned.

"Are you going to stop me?" Kaito challenged.

"Nope," Hakuba shook his head with a sad smile. "Couldn't do that if I tried."

"Yet you have tried… and failed," Kaito smirked.

"Kuroba," Hakuba frowned. "I won't stop you, but I must insist that you inform me of what goes on and if they show up."

"What?!" Kaito squawked, shocked and a little indignant.

"I didn't come to your bloody country just for politics Kuroba," Hakuba snorted. "I'm a trained Falcon Fighter-!"

"So what?" Kaito frowned. "Are you saying you're here to be my body guard or something?"

"Good heavens no!" Hakuba scoffed. "I know you are more than capable of taking care of yourself."

"Thank you!" Kaito grinned.

"But you also have an incredible knack of getting into trouble," Hakuba added. "According to my father, your father was no different."

"So what is it that you're getting at?" Kaito frowned.

"What I'm saying is let me help you," Hakuba huffed. "From what you told me this is clearly a Shifter matter and not a human one if this has to do with your father's murder. You don't know whom it is exactly that you're up against but I know for a fact that anyone who is capable of killing your father is going to be more than capable of taking you out as well. For all you know your father's killers are professionals and according to your profile you've had very little close-quarters combat training. Granted that your strategic skills and use of projectiles are remarkable, but two heads are going to be better than one when it comes to taking these guys down. What is the point of our clans' alliance if we don't work together on this? You can't do this on your own – you know you can't – so let me help."

Kaito stared long and hard at Hakuba for a moment before nodding. He had to agree that he was going to need Hakuba's help whether he wanted it or not.

"Alright," he sighed. "I'll keep you informed."

"Thank you," Hakuba nodded, relaxing just a bit before turning around to head off in the opposite direction. "See you at your bloody heist."

Kaito chuckled, shaking his head in wonder as he finished walking down the last few blocks home to prepare for the night ahead of him.

Full chapter! Yay!

So how am I building up Kaito and Hakuba's relationship? I didn't want to rush it so we're taking baby steps with them. Hopefully the story is starting to pick up and interest you guys more, yeah? I hope you like it so far, but PLEASE review. Favs and Alerts make me happy and give me hope, but I really don't know how you guys feel about this fic if you don't review (anonymous or otherwise I don't care).

Next is the Blue Birthday Chapter and a LOT happens in that, so stay tuned!