Mikau: Hello friends! So, you'll note that the chapter title includes a "Part One" at the end. Yes, we will be having a Chapter Five. ^.^; The scene between Kaito and Shinichi went on so long that I thought it would be better to split the chapter into two, so here you go. You've got another KaiShin chapter. I've edited it so many times that I'm sick of it, but I'm happier with it than I was with Chapter Three. I hope you enjoy it!

Disclaimer: If I owned it, the animation budget could be substantially decreased because my characters tend to stand/sit/lie around and talk a lot. Not much action, just drama, drama, drama.

…

Chapter Four: The Aftermath Part One

More nuzzling and easy kisses ensued until the clock struck six.

Kaito paused to count the chimes. "Geez. I haven't even started dinner yet."

"We can order out occasionally." Shinichi pulled Kaito back down. "It's not going to mar your spotless record as a domestic god."

"You're sure?" Kaito raised an eyebrow as he propped himself up on his boyfriend's chest. "Years down the line when we're married, you're not going to tease me mercilessly 'Remember that one time the day after our anniversary when I spent the night at the station working on a serial killer case only to come home to no dinner on the table?'"

Shinichi playfully blew on Kaito's bangs. "No. You know I don't embrace traditional gender roles in relationships. I would never hold your failure to provide me with a nutritional meal so that I can go to work to support us against you."

"Oh, good," Kaito chuckled, playing with Shinichi's cowlick. "That's good to know because I don't intend to end up your little housewife. I work too, you know, and I'm quite successful."

"Yeah, I know. No," Shinichi sighed happily. "Just be Kaito. That's good enough as is."

Kaito leaned in for a peck before rolling off and lazily getting to his feet with a stretch (making his shirt hem ride up so that it showcased his lovely hipbone for Shinichi's benefit). "I want Chinese. Yes?"

"That's fine. Whatever you want, Honey." Shinichi arched his back and slowly sat up.

Kaito went over to the nightstand on the other side of the bed for his phone, adding "I'm gonna call Haku-chan too and see if he can come over to join us or if he's eaten yet."

Shinichi tensed. "Maybe not tonight, Kaito?"

Kaito froze in place and looked up from his phone. "Why not?"

Shinichi shifted uncomfortably. "I…just want it to be the two of us."

Kaito's eyebrow arched. "For a romantic dinner of take away Chinese food? What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," Shinichi assured, scrambling for a valid excuse that wasn't the truth. "I just want to spend time with you alone."

"We spent the past few hours in bed alone, and we can spend a few more this evening after Haku-chan leaves, but I'd really like to have him over for dinner to make sure that he eats a decent meal," Kaito stressed. "He's not in a good place lately, like you yourself noted earlier, and, like I said before, I need to start taking better care of him. He always bends over backwards for me, and I'm going to go out of my way to look out for him too from now on. I've taken him for granted long enough."

Shinichi grimaced, imagining how Hakuba would enjoy Kaito's attentions while Kaito fawned over him, never suspecting Hakuba's ulterior motives. He shook his head to banish the image. He knew he was being ridiculous—perfect, angelic Hakuba wasn't like that—and Shinichi was ashamed of how he was letting his imagination have free reign.

"Get your rampant paranoia under control, Kudo, before it wrecks your relationship."

"What?" Kaito insisted. "What is it?"

"I just…" Shinichi started out strong, but he ended in a sulky, guilty mumble. "I'm a little jealous. I wish you wouldn't spend so much time and energy on Hakuba. That's all. Is it wrong to want you all for myself? I'm your boyfriend, not him…. I know I'm being stupendously childish, but that's what the problem is. Am I completely awful?"

"No." Kaito put his hands on his hips and shook his head. "Not awful. Just unfair. Shinichi, I never say a word to you about Hattori or Ran."

"To my face," Shinichi grumbled. "I'm sure you and Hakuba have a field day with Hattori in particular behind my back."

"Of course, because that's the appropriate forum." Kaito rolled his eyes. "You're just tired and hungry, and it's making you grumpy. I'm going to do you the favor of ignoring your unreasonableness because I know you've had a rough day. Now, I'm calling in Chinese, and I'm going to have Haku-chan come over to join us because I'm seriously worried about him, and we owe him for what he did for us today."

"I don't want to see him because we had a fight," Shinichi quickly interjected before Kaito could go back to dialing the number.

"A fight?" Kaito echoed.

Shinichi's ears burned with shame at the memory of the rooftop. He knew that he in particular owed Hakuba big time—a massive apology for the venomous things he'd said, an even bigger thank you for saving his sorry hide from losing Kaito…

"When he was trying to tell me how I was messing things up with you. I mentioned it in passing earlier, but I said some pretty nasty things…took a lot of low blows because I thought he was lying, trying to get us to turn on one another and break us up. I did apologize when I realized I was in the wrong, but…he probably doesn't want to see me either. I know he needs help," Shinichi quickly added. "And we can have him over tomorrow, and I swear I won't be such a hypocrite and make a big deal of it, but tonight—"

"—Why in the world would Hakuba make all that stuff up and try to break us up?" Kaito interrupted because the idea was just so ludicrous to him. He sat back down on his side of the bed and gazed intently at his boyfriend.

Shinichi broke eye contact, looking away with a shrug. "I don't know. I was worn out and angry and really just not at my best. It was stupid."

Kaito didn't need to know that Shinichi's seemingly outlandish fears had root in logic. Shinichi would not ruin Kaito and Hakuba's relationship. Even if he could be petty at times, Shinichi loved Kaito too much to damage or warp that relationship.

"Shinichi," Kaito sighed, crossing his arms. "What happened to being more honest? If I have to talk about my feelings, you do too."

Shinichi bit his lip and considered. How to explain things to Kaito so that Shinichi didn't look like such a crazy, over-controlling boyfriend without outing Hakuba? "Because he's jealous too when it comes to you. You two have been close for years, before you and I really knew each other outside of Conan and KID. He's jealous because I take up so much of your time that used to be his, and he's jealous of how close you and I are…."

Shinichi played absentmindedly with the hem of the sheet, looking down at the cream fabric so that he wouldn't have to see the disappointment on Kaito's face. "…and I'm jealous because I think he's trying to steal you away from me, so…thus the fight and me saying vicious things. I don't think straight when it's about you, so I kind of went for the throat. I'm sorry about it now, but…maybe you need to go see Hakuba by yourself first and make sure he's okay before he and I meet up again."

Kaito sat staring at Shinichi in silence for a moment before he found the words to respond. He couldn't say things like, "I would never let myself be stolen" or "I would never have an affair" because they weren't true. Hadn't Kaito been considering it the night before? Hadn't Kaito told Saguru that he was the only one Kaito would leave Shinichi for?

It wasn't like Kaito could say, "You have nothing to worry about", so instead he tried to assuage Shinichi's insecurities with the truth: "Shinichi, I can personally assure you that Haku-chan has no nefarious scheme to split us up so he can steal me away to cook for him and play Cluedo and chess for the rest of my natural existence."

Shinichi bit his lip.

Kaito frowned. "You don't believe me?"

"It does sound dumb and paranoid when you put it that way," Shinichi confessed. "Okay. He may not be plotting against me outright, but he's so…good and perfect and selfless and attentive to you that I worry that I don't look like such a good choice in comparison."

"He's not perfect," Kaito sighed raking his fingers through his hair. "He only makes himself seem that way. It's a defense mechanism he developed to try to get his parents to love him…or at least not mind having him around so much. If he's perfect and does everything right, he thinks people will love him and he won't be a bother. He's not actually perfect on the inside, and I would never think of holding you up to the standards he holds himself. It's not healthy—heck, it's not even humanly possible. Besides, if I were his boyfriend and he had to deal with me all the time, he'd snap and stop being so 'perfect' before too long. Don't worry. I have reasonable expectations."

"Right. Okay," Shinichi answered in an undertone. "Sorry."

Kaito's brow pinched together as Shinichi sighed and started rubbing at his temples. "You're still stressing out about this. What can I say to get you to stop?"

"I think this is a me problem, Kaito." Shinichi finally looked up, eyes lackluster and hints of bags beginning to materialize underneath them. "I know this is ridiculous, but I've always viewed Hakuba as my love rival. It's a little hard to let go of the insecurity, jealousy, and paranoia all at once, even if I know you two are just weirdly co-dependent friends. I know he's not a bad guy, and I know he has problems and you two need each other and everything, but it's hard to trust a guy you don't trust with the most important person in your life."

Kaito chuckled as he leaned in to kiss Shinichi's cheek. "That's sweet. Completely insecure and paranoid, but sweet…except, don't you trust Haku-chan on a regular basis with your own life at work?"

"Yeah, but that's different," Shinichi explained. "Hakuba's a good cop, and we work well together. I don't hate the guy. I mean, sometimes I kind of like him. Sometimes we kind of feel like friends, but…my life is one thing; you are something completely different."

Kaito shook his head. "If you'll forgive me, I'm not even going to try to understand."

"It's probably better if you don't," Shinichi agreed. "…Are we okay now?"

Kaito thought about it for a minute. "Probably. You don't hate my best friend?"

"Not entirely." Shinichi shrugged.

"And you're not going to try to keep me from hanging out with him?"

"No."

"And you're not opposed to having him over for dinner more often and taking him a lunch to work and my generally worrying about and fussing over him?" Kaito pressed.

Shinichi didn't reply immediately, but after a minute he inhaled deeply and took Kaito by the hands. "I've decided that even if I don't trust Hakuba, I'm going to trust you because that's what healthy couples do, right?"

"Right," Kaito whispered, feeling the weight of that trust. "Then we're okay now. For now anyway."

Shinichi nodded, cracking a small, tentative smile. "For now is good enough. …So, why don't you go ahead and call in the Chinese food? I am starting to get hungry. Order some for Hakuba too and have it sent to his place. I'll pay for all of it when they deliver our order here."

A smile broke out on Kaito's face in response. "I appreciate you making an effort."

Shinichi shrugged. "We do owe the guy."

…

The remainder of the evening continued rather smoothly, especially considering the tempestuous rest of the day. Kaito and Shinichi ate their Chinese food at the kitchen table and were able to keep the conversation going almost effortlessly on light subjects.

Kaito got a text during the meal from Hakuba asking, "Did you send me Chinese food?" to which Kaito replied, "Sort of? Shinichi was the one who suggested and paid for it, but I was the one who placed the order."

"Thank you. Please tell Kudo thank you from me as well. I have to admit, for a minute there I was concerned that the food might be poisoned and sent in an attempt to get me out of the way," Saguru confessed.

"Turn your detective brain off and enjoy your free dinner," Kaito commanded, rolling his eyes.

"In his defence, I would have thought the same thing," Shinichi chuckled when Kaito reported the incident.

"Detectives," Kaito sighed, slurping up his chow mein noodles.

"Magicians," Shinichi echoed, giving Kaito's foot a playful nudge under the table.

Kaito nudged back, and before they knew it they were playing footsies and ended up with one of their feet wrapped around the other's ankle.

It wasn't until they had been snuggling on the couch, each reading his respective book, for almost half an hour after dinner, that a question that had been wriggling around in the back of Kaito's mind came to the surface and had to be voiced.

"Shinichi, earlier you mentioned that you had always thought of Haku-chan as a love rival."

Shinichi stiffened. Kaito could feel it because he was pressed up against Shinichi's side at the time.

"Is there a reason why?" Kaito finished.

Shinichi shifted uncomfortably, mind racing. "…No. Not any logical reason, anyway. I think…maybe it started when I first ran into you guys and met you as Kuroba Kaito. I thought something was going on between you and Hakuba, but that was probably because I wasn't used to the way you guys interact. You guys are a lot more physical than normal friends, especially here in Japan. I mean, the night we met, I saw you jump off a table into his arms and smooch him in front of everybody."

Kaito winced. "To be fair, I was a little drunk because of the whole Baaya thing. But I kind of get what you're saying. You and Hattori make me antsy sometimes because he throws all of the normal social mores out the window when it comes to you, and I still occasionally wonder if you've got some remaining incestuous feelings for Ran clinging on."

"You know it's not like that." Shinichi gently elbowed Kaito in the side.

"Right," Kaito chuckled. "My head knows, but that doesn't stop my heart from worrying about it from time to time. Is that what it's like for you with Hakuba?"

Shinichi nodded. "Only worse. I can't get myself to stop thinking of Hakuba as a genuine threat. It was about a year or two before I really understood you and Hakuba. The whole time I worried that maybe you were making out with him too and this was just how you were with people. It wasn't until you told me that you had never slept with a guy before and I could tell it was your first time that I knew for sure."

"Geez." Kaito pulled back to study Shinichi's quickly reddening face. "You have just about as many insecurities about this relationship as I do! I thought you said that you thought you and I were fine?"

Shinichi shrugged, chewing nervously on his lip. "I mean…my problem is just Hakuba. I know you wouldn't run off behind my back with just anyone."

"What about Aoko?" Kaito asked out of pure curiosity.

Shinichi replied with a deadpan expression, "Aoko is married with two kids and a third on the way."

"Married people have affairs." Kaito shrugged.

"Aoko is happily married and so over you for nearly ten years now." Shinichi easily dismissed the idea.

"So you don't worry when I spend days on end holed up with her for work, but you worry when I spend the night at Haku-chan's?" Kaito clarified, finding this all rather hard to wrap his head around.

Shinichi shrugged. "You and Aoko are far too busy with work to get up to anything. Besides, like I said before, she's not interested in you, and her children both closely resemble her husband."

"They've even got Watanabe's nose, the poor kids," Kaito sighed. "…So you don't worry when I flirt with other men and women, but you worry when I spend time platonically with Hakuba?"

"Yes," Shinichi grumbled. "Being uncertain of the nature of your relationship with the guy for nearly two years kind of traumatized me. I've always seen him as my rival, and I get the feeling that if you were to leave me for someone else, it would be him. I don't know, Kaito…. Can we drop it?"

Shinichi looked at his boyfriend with pleading eyes. "Don't think about it too hard. I'm just being silly. I mean, it's not even like he's in love with you or anything, so there's no point in getting worked up about it. I'm just being ridiculous. It's all in my head, right?"

Kaito didn't answer right away.

It's not even like he's in love with you.

That sentence combined with their discussion of back when they'd just met and when they'd first slept with one another brought back the memory of a conversation he'd had with Aoko. He'd brushed it off at the time, but now, now that he really thought about it…

"Right," Kaito answered cheerily, just a beat too late. "Right. It's not like Haku-chan has those kinds of feelings for me, so what's the point of talking about it and worrying about it when it's all in your imagination in the first place?"

"…Right," Shinichi agreed a little hesitantly, noticing Kaito's pause. "Everything okay?"

"Peachy," Kaito chuckled.

Shinichi could tell that the smile was fake.

"I just remembered that there was something I needed to go talk to Aoko about. She sent me the script for the next chapter, and I just had some things I wanted to discuss before I start drawing the name. I think I mentioned that we get to do a color page this month too, so I wanted to get her opinion on something for that."

Shinichi frowned. "It can't wait until you go over there at your regular time tomorrow? It's eight-thirty. Aren't her kids getting ready for bed?"

"It's super important," Kaito insisted.

"And you can't call her?"

Kaito's innocent smile endured. "No. I have to go see her."

Shinichi stared down his boyfriend like a snake about to strike down a mouse. "This is about Hakuba, isn't it?"

Kaito didn't waver. "No. Why would you say that?"

"Because if it were about things between you and me, you'd be talking to Hakuba about it, since he's already involved in the situation. You'll tell her all about recent developments between us tomorrow when you see her for work, but, to my knowledge, there's nothing urgent that you need to talk to Aoko about concerning me." Shinichi began to tick his observations off on his fingers.

"It's near the beginning of the cycle for work, and your editor hasn't been breathing down your neck, so there is no work emergency that you need to go over to Aoko's house and risk waking her kids and drawing her ire for. If it were about the next chapter or the color page, you'd call or email her. So it's not about me, and it's not about work. What other urgent topic is there in your life? Hakuba," Shinichi concluded his deduction.

Kaito's smile dissipated. He pursed his lips. "This is what I get for dating a detective. Way to Sherlock Holmes me."

Shinichi shrugged. "Why is this something that you can't talk to me about, and why did you think you had to lie about it?"

Kaito grimaced. "I need to talk to her about something she said a few years ago. I blew it off at the time, but I think I was wrong, and I think I've made a huge mistake. I lied because you sounded like you didn't want to hear any more about Hakuba tonight, so…Sorry?"

"You haven't just realized that you're secretly in love with Hakuba and Aoko's been telling you so all this time, right?" Shinichi held his breath.

Kaito blinked. "What? No. This doesn't impact you…to the best of my knowledge. This is just about something Aoko said about Hakuba that I probably should have paid more attention to."

Seeing Shinichi's skeptical expression, Kaito leaned in and gave his boyfriend a relatively quick but deep kiss. Pulling back, he smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry. You and I are going to be okay so long as we both work hard at keeping our promises." He ran his fingers over the ring on Shinichi's as he looked Shinichi in the eye. "I wasn't lying when I said that I really, really, really wanted that ring and everything it represents someday. Hakuba isn't the only one that I have an irreplaceable bond with. You've been important to me ever since we met on that rooftop on April Fool's Day all those years ago."

Shinichi contemplated Kaito's words, mentally chewing and digesting them before he nodded and whispered, "Okay. I trust you." Shinichi leaned in, smiling into the kiss.

"Thanks," Kaito mumbled against Shinichi's lips. "I'll be back."

"Come back soon," Shinichi answered, giving Kaito a nuzzle before letting him go.