Steal

Kaito can steal any jewel he'd ever want or need. And he has, in the past. He has never failed a heist before, and he has no intention of ever doing that. In the same way, he can steal paintings, sculptures, gold, anything.

He can even steal the moon.

These thoughts are rumbling through Kaito's head as he stares, er, watches, Kudou Shinichi sitting with Mouri Ran, from his position two tables away. This is a fancy restaurant, and Kaito feels sorely out of place as he sits alone, waiting for Aoko and Hakuba to get there. It's really only a coincidence that the time and place of Shinichi and Ran's date coincides with Kaito, Aoko, and Hakuba's dinner together.

(Or maybe not, because he's pretty sure Aoko has noticed the way he looks at Shinichi out of the corner of his eye, and he's pretty sure Aoko made the reservations for the restaurant as well. He wonders what she means by it. Does she want to taunt him with the sight of Shinichi and Ran together?)

Kaito lets out a little sigh, pushing the thoughts away. (For now. He'll summon them again once Aoko actually shows up and ask her the answers.) He returns his focus to Shinichi and Ran.

He's pretty sure Ran is supposed to stand out, in the little red dress she's wearing with those sky-high heels and her hair falling coiffed and silky around her shoulders, but to him, Shinichi is much more dazzling, the sleeves of his button-down folded back to reveal muscled forearms, the red silk tie (to match Ran's dress?) loose around his neck and the V of the slightly open collar parted just enough to show the pale hollow of his throat. It's an extremely good look on him, Kaito decides idly.

Shinichi laughs at something Ran says, and she blushes, the pink on her cheeks startling against the red of her dress. His head is thrown back, his neck long and graceful, and he grins widely at Ran, making some comment that makes her blush darken. She pouts, and his azure eyes are sparkling as he laughs again.

Kaito watches.

He can steal any jewel he'd ever want or need. He can steal paintings, sculptures, gold, anything. He can even steal the moon.

But he'll never be able to steal Shinichi's heart, and that's what hurts the most.

Time passes. Kaito doesn't really know, because he's dropped his head on the table and is trying to block out everything, trying not to think about the elegantly pretty detective two tables away.

(He sincerely wishes he could.)

"Hey," says a familiar voice, breaking his out of his reverie God knows how many minutes later, and Kaito blinks and pulls himself up to find that for some reason, Shinichi is standing beside him.

"Fancy meeting you in a place like this," the detective says, sounding amused.

"Oh." Kaito clears his throat, realizing how ragged his voice sounds. "Hi. Hey, aren't… you're on a date with Mouri-chan, aren't you?"

Shinichi regards him for a second. "Not really. We were just having drinks before Ran goes to the airport. She's meeting Hondou there." He gestures at the table, and Kaito looks over, surprised to see Ran standing up, sliding on a coat. She winks and waves at him before starting to weave through the tables for the door.

"You came to this kind of a restaurant?" asks Kaito, simultaneously impressed and incredulous. "For a before-airport drink?"

Shrugging, Shinichi half-smiles. "Nakamori-chan invited us here."

"'Nakamori-chan'… Aoko did?" Kaito sighs. So this really was all planned.

Aoko suddenly seems about five hundred percent more sadistic than Kaito thought.

"Hey, Kuroba?"

"Hmm?" Kaito turns a dismissive gaze on Shinichi. Any other kind of gaze would probably hurt.

The detective shuffles awkwardly. "Well, since Ran's leaving now, do you want to have dinner with me, maybe?" He looks hopeful and innocent and shy, and Kaito's blinking and blushing at the sight.

"But – I'm supposed to meet Aoko and Hakuba…?" It comes out a question. Kaito doesn't really know why.

Shinichi lifts his eyebrows. "What time were you supposed to meet?"

"Five thirty."

"It's seven now, if you haven't noticed." Shinichi's eyes are twinkling as he starts to smirk. "I think you might've been stood up."

Frowning, Kaito stares at the empty place settings before him. "Damn them."

"My offer still stands, Kaito," Shinichi remarks, and Kaito's head snaps up at the casually familiar address. Shinichi's full-out smirking now, and he's positively gorgeous.

Oh.

"Hm… feels like I haven't got a choice," Kaito replies, and he stands and follows Shinichi to the table Shinichi had been sharing with Ran.

As Shinichi flags down a waiter, Kaito has an epiphany.

He might not be able to steal Shinichi's heart… but maybe Shinichi will give it to him.

I almost ended it after the "never be able to steal Shinichi's heart, and that's what hurts the most" line, and then I thought, "Nah, I never write angst. Let's not start now." So I added a few hundred more words and made it into flangst. /pats self on back