"I don't think I'm ever going to forget this," Hakuba said. There was absolute delight and pleasure in his tone, enough that Kaito wanted to push him over and hop his way into the hospital unassisted.
"I think you're going to look dashing with green hair for the next week," Kaito shot back, swallowing the more acidic words he wanted to spit at the detective.
"You know, KID's heist is in three days. It would be incredibly suspicious if he didn't show. Or if he did and had similar limitations, Kuroba." Hakuba hefted Kaito's arm higher on his shoulder and resettled his grip around Kaito's waist.
"Why does it always come back to KID with you?" Kaito grumbled, wincing as he put more weight on his broken ankle by accident. "I'm telling Aoko that instead of helping me, you spent all your time gloating about KID. See how fast she dumps your ass."
"Threatening to tell Aoko on me. How old are you?" Hakuba muttered back, but he did help Kaito more intently.
The hospital was mildly busy as they limped in through the doors. Hakuba lead him to the main desk, nodding a greeting to the nurse behind the desk. She handed over the necessary paperwork and directed them to the correct waiting room, blushing sweetly as Kaito pulled a rose out of his sleeve and offered it to her.
Hakuba helped Kaito settle in one of the chairs, handing over the clipboard with paperwork and a pen. Kaito took it and started absently filling in his information, eyes drifting over the others in the hospital. A familiar profile drew his eyes.
"Hey. Isn't that Kudou Shinichi?" Kaito asked, pointing the pen at the teenager huddled in his own chair in the waiting room. Hakuba looked over and made a considering noise.
"I suppose it is. Wonder what he's doing here." Hakuba grunted as Kaito shoved the clipboard back to him.
"Turn this in for me, will you?" Kaito asked, already trying to decide how he'd make it across the room without further damaging his ankle. As soon as Hakuba's back was turned, he climbed upright and limped over to the detective, using the wall to guide himself and stay upright.
Shinichi was scrawling through his own set of forms, looking up when he noticed the shadow over his pages and then right back down. Disheartened, Kaito dropped into the chair next to him heavily, bracing his arm on the back of Shinichi's chair and leaning over to read over Shinichi's shoulder.
"You pulled your groin muscle playing soccer?" he asked, reading the section that covered his need for the visit and holding back a laugh.
"What's wrong with you? Who are you?" Shinichi asked, jerking away from Kaito and nearly falling to the floor.
"Aw~ So mean. You don't recognize me, meitantei?" Kaito let one of his signature KID smirks creep over his face. Shinichi's went pale and then brilliant red.
"KID!" he hissed, eyes darting around the room and over Kaito's obviously injured leg. Kaito craned his neck to get a look at Hakuba, who was looking around for him and scowling when he noticed Kaito's present location.
"Shh~ Don't want to let dear tantei-san into the joke, okay?" Kaito winked, moving his arms down to Shinichi's shoulders and pulling him to the side in a loose hug. Shinichi squirmed out of his hold.
"I should report you to the police right now," Shinichi said, reaching over to pinch Kaito's thigh.
He yelped and moved his arm.
"Hey! I'm injured here!" Kaito protested, baby his ankle with a pout. Hakuba was coming up on them fast, so Kaito chanced it and leaned in close enough to whisper into Shinichi's ear. "Hakuba already suspects who I am. If you tell him, he'll learn just who Conan was. Otherwise, how are you going to explain your own certainty of KID's identity? You've been to only one heist as Shinichi, and that was years ago. You never even got a look at my face."
Shinichi was quiet during Kaito's whispered message. Kaito leaned back and let him process it, dialing back his smile to something more normal for Kuroba Kaito.
"Hey, Hakuba! Have you ever met Shinichi before?" Kaito asked, slinging a friendly arm back around Shinichi's shoulders. Surprisingly, the detective didn't immediately push him off and start making accusations.
"We haven't, officially. I have followed your career since your re-emergence last year, but hadn't made the time to meet you formally, Kudou Shinichi." Hakuba glanced between them, satisfaction on his face. Kaito could see the thoughts forming behind his eyes. "I didn't know you'd met him, Kuroba."
"It's good to officially meet you, too, Hakuba Saguru." Shinichi straightened under Kaito's arm and offered a hand. "I'm familiar with your career, as well."
"And I've known Shinichi for years," Kaito interrupted before Shinichi started spinning tales. Considering how he'd formed his own alias and subsequent cover story, Kaito needed to be ahead of the detective on this one before he made up something even Hakuba would realize was false. "His mother studied under my father before her acting career took off. And my mother meets up with his parents on her own travels, sometimes."
The look the detectives gave him varied. Shinichi looked surprised and relieved that Kaito had something at the ready. Hakuba looked mutinous.
"Strange that you've never mentioned such an acquaintance before," Hakuba said, eyes narrowed dangerously. Kaito let his smile widen.
"Shinichi was involved in some serious trouble. What kind of friend would I be if I just dropped hints about his life around? I'd never let my friend get hurt," Kaito declared, ruffling Shinichi's hair.
"You-" Shinichi cut himself off and shoved Kaito's arm away. "Don't act so familiarly!"
"Don't be mean, Shin-chan," Kaito whined.
"If I had to judge, I'd say you're a terrible friend, Kuroba," Hakuba said. He nodded his head back towards the desk. "They're ready for you."
"Alright." Kaito sighed and gave Shinichi a wink. "Let me know what the doctors say, okay, Shin-chan? I'll kiss it better if I need to!"
The shade of red Shinichi turned had to be painful. He used Hakuba's arm to pull himself upright and escape before Shinichi got over his embarrassment. Kaito predicted he'd be dodging soccer balls in the near future, as soon as Shinichi was feeling better. And once his ankle healed. He hoped Jii was up to pulling a little more weight than usual on their heists.
