The first storm of the rainy season hit, bringing with it a new heist notice. Even avoiding most media outlets, it was impossible to miss the news. As rain pounded against the windows, Saguru's homeroom students passed newspapers back and forth before the start of the school day. Takumi hunched over a newspaper of his own, chewing on a pen cap as he ignored classmates trying to ask his opinion about the heist.

From what Saguru gathered (from gossiping students and a paper left conveniently in the staff room), they were rapidly nearing Kid's two hundredth heist since his 'return.' This would be the hundred and ninety-eighth. It was a ridiculously high number, but when Saguru stopped to think about it, Kuroba had been active as Kid for around seventeen years, and that number put his record at just under one heist a month. There were times when Kid pulled multiple heists a month, so there was the question of how many months over the years had been skipped, and for what reasons. Injuries, Saguru guessed, likely had been among them, and family matters. Kuroba's marriage, Takumi's birth, and his divorce would have affected Kid's activity. At any rate, gossip was high as back at Kid's hundredth heist Kid had pulled an extravagant theft that had left experts puzzling for years how it had done it. There was speculation on what he would pull off when the two hundredth one finally rolled around. With this sort of thing going on, Saguru could imagine that Aoko was getting even more people from the press showing up. The expectation had to be a weight on Kuroba too. It made sense why Kuroba had said earlier in the week that he wouldn't have free time until the following week.

The heist date and time were filed away, and set aside to the back of Saguru's mind. Old habits died hard even if he was keeping his nose out of Kid's business.

*o*o*

The soft chime of an incoming text message cut through the stillness almost a half-hour before his alarm was due to go off, waking Saguru from a restless sleep. He had fallen asleep late in the night due to a thunder storm rattling the windows and rumbling through his bones with each lightning strike. Saguru flailed an arm, searching for his phone where he'd left it on its charger the night before. He squinted against the bright screen. One text from Kuroba Aoko, received at five thirty-two AM.

Did Kaito come home last night?

Saguru was abruptly awake. Right, the Kid heist had been last night. The target had been an emerald owned by a foreign visitor leaving a short window of time to prepare and attempt a heist. But the heist had been held at midnight; even given the necessary time to evade the police and the night's storm, Kuroba should have returned several hours ago.

If Aoko was texting Saguru, Kuroba wasn't answering her. That she was asking if Kuroba had returned meant she had reason to believe he hadn't. In the past few months, Kuroba had been injured once that Saguru knew of already. He was willing to bet that if he looked into it, Aoko would confirm that there was an uptick in the number of injuries on heists in the past year.

Saguru let out a breath, clenching the phone tight before texting Aoko back. Unsure. Let me check. He hadn't tried to wait up last night. Even if he had, would he have even been able to hear Kuroba return with the storm?

He rolled out of bed, not bothering to make himself presentable. Saguru leaned on his good leg, knocking on Kuroba's door. Even straining his ears there was no sound from the other side. He tried again with the same results. Saguru rested his hand on the door, hesitating. While certainly not up to Kuroba's caliber, he was capable to picking a lock… There was no telling if Kuroba had booby-trapped his own front door to keep away unsanctioned visitors though.

I knocked on his door, but have not received an answer, Saguru messaged Aoko.

There was a long minute before he got a response back, and when he did get it, it was far from helpful. Damn.

Have you tried his mother? He asked. Who else would Kuroba turn to if injured? Or Jii? Saguru added, vaguely remembering the older man that Saguru had profiled as the most likely suspect to be Kid's occasional helper.

Tried her, no answer there either. Jii's been dead for seven years now, was Aoko's response.

The words Jii's been dead sat heavy in front of his eyes. Who had been watching Kuroba's back, then, if his assistant was dead?

Keep trying, Saguru sent. I will let you know if I learn anything more on this end.

Thanks.

Saguru slipped the phone into the chest pocket of his pajama shirt and returned to his apartment to dig out the lock picks he had stashed in one of the boxes in his closet among other things he'd never bothered to unpack. He had them more out of habit than anything else. Once a lifetime ago, Kuroba's example had convinced him of their usefulness in a multitude of situations, not just unlawful ones. Saguru had never really broken the habit of keeping a set around. He was grateful for this now as he pulled them from a box. He carefully ignored the rest of the box's contents. Mum had packed half of this box and now was not the time to be caught up in memories.

He grabbed his cane on the way back to Kuroba's door for something to balance against if nothing else. His hands felt awkward and slow, nothing like Kuroba's skilled fingers as he jimmied the tumblers into place. Surprisingly, there weren't any secondary locks when Saguru finally managed to get the door open. By why would there be? Saguru reasoned, scorning his own surprise. As far as the world knew, Kuroba Kaito worked at a museum and lived a perfectly ordinary life. If there were secrets hidden in the apartment, they wouldn't be made obvious.

The lights were off, a pair of guest slippers lined up on the genkan neatly beside a pair of jogging shoes. Kuroba's, perhaps used for when he had casual outings. Kuroba's usual shoes that he wore to work were further along the wall. That meant nothing though. Kuroba wouldn't have worn any of his usual footwear out to a heist. Any shoes he used there likely were hidden among Kuroba's things elsewhere.

Saguru ignored the ticking clocks and the soft glow of the digital clock near the television as he walked further in. There was no sign of Kuroba on the couch, not in the kitchen with its stack of dishes in the strainer. The bath and toilet were empty.

He hesitated at the bedrooms. There was invading Kuroba's privacy in entering his apartment, and then there was invading privacy by touching Kuroba's bedroom, but then Kuroba had never seemed to have any hesitation in invading Saguru's privacy in reverse. It felt like committing a wrong, like taking a step over the carefully balanced unspoken truce they had worked out. He opened the door regardless. Takumi's room was empty. It was tidier than he'd expect from a teenager's bedroom, but then Takumi rarely slept over.

Kuroba's bedroom door was locked. Saguru knocked, and getting no answer, he used a card to slide between the frame and the door and got in that way.

Kuroba's room held a bed and a small, cramped desk set between it and the dresser. The dresser was under the window and held a variety of knickknacks and photographs and objects lined up on one side. The space on the other side, under the majority of the window, was clear, likely for the ease of using it as an entrance and exit. Kuroba had managed to cram a bookcase and a second dresser into the space as well. There was an empty dove cage on top of the second dresser. Saguru took all of this in before shutting the door. He did not analyze what the choice in keepsakes might mean or where Kuroba might be hiding Kid's tools in the room. He hadn't been invited to see that room. If he let himself look too close, he might learn more than Kuroba was willing to let him know and he didn't want to break the thread of trust growing between them.

Kuroba is not in the apartment, Saguru sent to Aoko, letting the details of how he knew this be filled by her imagination. Worry curled in his gut. He sent off a message to Kuroba, feeling powerless. Please stay safe. Contact us when you are able.

On the other side of Kuroba's door, something beeped and Saguru almost laughed. Of course. Kuroba wouldn't take Kuroba Kaito's phone to Kaitou Kid's heist.

It seems Kuroba does not have his phone on him, Saguru texted to Aoko. I can hear it in his bedroom.

I'm going to KILL him, Aoko sent back.

Nevertheless, Saguru felt a bit better knowing that it was not necessarily Kuroba being too injured to respond that was leaving the messages unanswered.

He made his way out of Kuroba's apartment and back to his own, being sure to lock the door behind him. Saguru left his phone on the kitchen counter and started his morning routine. There was nothing he could do at the moment and information would come when it came. He still had a job to get to this morning though, so he dressed and made his breakfast and tea and packed his lunch, glancing from time to time at his unresponsive phone. When all this was over, Saguru was getting Kid's cellphone number because he knew Kid had to have one.

There was no room to doubt that Kuroba was still alive.

Saguru's phone was still silent when he left for class.

*o*o*

It was difficult to focus. Saguru went through the motions of teaching on automatic, his mind on the cell phone in his bag rather than the students in front of him. Takumi seemed distracted as well, likely second-hand from Aoko's unease. Saguru didn't bother to try and catch his focus. It would have been hypocritical anyway. He didn't have a chance to check his phone until lunch period, leaving his third class of first years with a distracted request that they read the printout he had prepared the night before and respond to it. He wasn't sure if he'd given clear instructions, and part of his mind noted that he'd have to grade more leniently than usual as his own distraction would be reflected on his students' work, but he was already focusing in on the phone, pulling up the messages he had missed.

There were two from Aoko, one saying that she had gotten a hold of Kuroba Chikage, the other reporting that Kuroba was okay. The second message was terse like Aoko was reigning herself in from a rant by giving only the important facts. The last message was from Kuroba saying, Am fine. Some issues came up getting away but nothing serious. Sorry for worrying you.

He reread the message several times trying to pull anything from it, but text was a terrible medium of communication. He wished Kuroba or Aoko would have called so he could parse more details from their tone if nothing else. Still, something in him relaxed, relief leaving him slumped in his desk chair and uncomfortably aware of how tense he had been all morning. He sent off a message thanking Aoko and Kuroba for letting him know and set his phone aside. He'd get the details from Kuroba later.

"You okay?" Takata Kate asked from her desk.

Saguru mustered up a smile. "I am fine. Merely a long morning."

She smiled back friendly and sympathetic. "I know the feeling."

He kept a smile on his face as she launched into a story about how her son had woken in the night and how her classes had been difficult this morning. It was almost nice to hear about the normal sort of problems his coworkers and friends had had over the years, familiar problems with familiar results, not like Kid or secrets though Saguru was more than familiar with that sort of problem too. He could always rely on commiseration and the normality was soothing.

Saguru let Takata keep him distracted for the rest of the lunch break and ground him to the familiar flow of his job.

*o*o*

Saguru knocked on Kuroba's door when he returned to the apartment complex. Unlike this morning, Kuroba opened it after a few moments. They said nothing, Kuroba standing in the doorway and letting Saguru look him over without protest.

Kuroba looked tired, to be expected after a heist night. There was nothing in his stance that gave away a specific injury and no bulk of bandages underneath his clothing. No slip of a sleeve to show injured arms like last time, but Saguru knew that something had to be wrong. He narrowed his eyes. "Your right leg or your ribs?" he asked.

"…A few bruises on my right side and a minor sprain to my ankle," Kuroba said.

Saguru nodded slowly. "Sniper?"

"I wear a bulletproof vest and am pretty good at dodging."

"No doubt through frequent practice," Saguru said bitterly. He was willing to be that Kid's uniform had a long tear in the chest where the bullet hand glanced off the vest. Unless the bruises were a result of Kuroba dodging.

"Satisfied I'm in one piece yet?" Kuroba joked. His tone fell a bit flat, uncomfortable just like the last time Saguru had called him out on his injuries.

"I broke into your apartment," Saguru said because he wasn't sure what would satisfy him of Kuroba's safety.

"Why Hakuba, breaking and entering?" Kuroba put a hand over his heart. "I'm scandalized. And surprised you know how to pick a lock."

"A useful skill," Saguru said. "I'm sorry for invading your privacy."

Kuroba shrugged like it wasn't a concern, but Saguru knew better.

"I didn't touch anything."

Kuroba shrugged again. "We can call it even for all the times I've picked your locks."

Saguru snorted. "Of course. Because I pick a lock once and that balances against the dozens of times you do."

Kuroba smiled, the atmosphere between them shifting away from the stiff discomfort back toward their usual dynamic. "But you're on the side of the law and all that's good; your picking a lock holds more weight!"

Saguru shook his head, allowing himself a smile. If it was fonder than he intended, well, that couldn't be helped. "I am glad you're in one piece, Kuroba."

Kuroba shrugged, surprisingly not taking the opportunity to pull up his usual masks or to tease Saguru about his concern. "I'm glad too," he said. It must have been a closer call than the injuries hinted. For a flash of a moment, he could see Aoko's perspective in all this clearly; at least Kid couldn't put himself in the spotlight as a target if he was caught up in a box. But Saguru knew that catching Kid would be a death sentence in its own right by this point. There would be nowhere for Kid to run and nowhere to dodge if he was locked up.

"You need to leave a way to contact you," Saguru said, thinking of Aoko. "I understand not giving a way for Aoko to get in touch with Kid. That would be too dangerous if anything ever did happen, possibly incriminating her. But leaving everyone in a state of panic isn't the answer either."

With a grimace, Kuroba scrubbed the back of his head. "My fault. I meant to call… Kaa-san has my number, but she didn't have her phone on her." He gave Saguru a look. "Let me guess, you want to be another contact."

"Only if you would want me to be one," Saguru said.

"No ulterior motives behind this?" Kuroba asked, leaning against his doorframe.

"Only so far as assuaging my own worry." With a wry smile he added, "Being able to potentially calm down Aoko would help as well. And I wouldn't have to break in to your apartment again."

"Hmm, you make compelling points." Kuroba's eyes sparked with humor but there was something deeper in his gaze, assessing. "Fine. I'll send you the number later." Kuroba turned back to his apartment. "Takumi's coming over for dinner once practice lets out. Care to join us?"

Saguru reigned in his kneejerk refusal. He would be intruding on family time, but Kuroba wasn't someone who would offer if he didn't want Saguru to be there. "I would love to," he said.

"Great!" Kuroba grinned, one of his rare, truly happy smiles. "If you're comfortable with knives, you can help me chop vegetables for the stir fry."

"I think I can handle that."

Kuroba's apartment door clicked shut behind them.

OMAKE

"So Sensei," Momoi Shiemi said, catching Saguru after a literature club meeting, "you and Kuroba-jisan."

Saguru stopped packing up his notes and books. "Pardon?" He could have sworn she'd left with Takumi and the others.

Momoi grinned and leaned against the table, a knowing glint in her eyes that made him distinctly uncomfortable. It reminded him of a cat that had made a successful kill, parading its prey around triumphantly. Saguru took a step back in spite of himself. "You have to be something since he keeps bringing you up when we talk. Kind of going pretty fast there, but I'm not going to judge."

Saguru frowned. Was she actually insinuating that he and Kuroba were…?

"I'm a little curious about why you because he hasn't been with anyone in ages. Kuroba-jisan still loves Aoko-basan too much, you know." Momoi tipped her hear to the side, her heavy braids tapping her cheeks. "But. He's looked happier lately, and that leads back to you."

Well then. Saguru coughed. "Momoi-san, I am not sure what exactly gave you the impression that Kuroba is…involved… with me, but I assure you that it's mistaken."

"Mm hmm." She didn't look convinced at all.

"Truly." His cheeks were warm. For goodness sake, this wasn't something that should even come up with a student. "Kuroba is merely a friend."

"You know, Sensei, they're pretty good here about non-conventional relationships." She rocked back on her feet, serious for a moment. "It's not the kind of thing that would get you fired. Well, so long as you're not shouting it to the rooftops or anything."

"That's not—" That hadn't even crossed his mind; he'd been used to acceptance in London so it had been a while since he actually had to worry about Japan's stance on homosexuality. And now some small portion of him was a bit worried about if his orientation became public knowledge. He took a slow breath, composed himself. "Momoi-san, if I was in a relationship—and I am not—it frankly would not be anyone's business what my significant other's gender was."

"Good," Momoi said. "It's not something to apologize about."

Why did it feel like he was being judged and found worthy of something? It seemed Momoi had placed herself as gatekeeper of sorts to Kuroba's relationships the way she was talking. And all of this was ridiculous because he wasn't dating Kuroba. Saguru pinched the bridge of his nose. "You're not going to believe me when I say that we are not involved, are you?"

"I'm calling it as I see it," Momoi said. "Point one, you don't use honorifics."

"That is because we rarely ever did and at one point it was to aggravate each other."

"Point two," Momoi said, talking over Saguru, "you talk more with Kuroba-jisan than a lot of his friends. He's mentioned you more since you got back than any other person including coworkers."

"We live next to each other," Saguru said, ignoring the warm, conflicted feeling he had at hearing that Kuroba mentioned him.

"Point three," Momoi said, grinning again now, "Takumi accepts you."

"How is that a point?" Saguru protested. "He hated me a month ago."

She shrugged. "Hate's a strong word. I don't think he's actually able to hate anyone. But no, you've gotten the child seal of approval now, which Kuroba-jisan'd need. Actually I think you're the only person he's introduced Takumi to."

"Is it introducing when I'm Takumi-kun's homeroom teacher?" Saguru asked dryly.

"Aaand, point the fourth," Momoi said, cutting him off with a triumphantly pointed finger, "you've seen the inside of his apartment."

He didn't even want to know how she knew that. "I again point out that we're neighbors."

"Kuroba-jisan doesn't let people in his home," Momoi said patiently. "I've been there four times, and I've known Takumi since before Kuroba-jisan moved there. Chikage-obaasan, and Aoko-basan visit regularly. Takumi lives there half the time, but Kuroba-jisan doesn't invite friends or coworkers over."

"And that's why you've concluded we're dating."

"Pretty much." She smiled, sharp like she was waiting for another protest to cut down.

Saguru sighed. "Your points aside, we really aren't dating. In fact I am fairly certain Kuroba is entirely uninterested in men."

"Have you seen Kuroba-jisan?" Momoi said.

"I'm hardly going to take certain flamboyance actions as indicative of sexuality." He wouldn't put stereotypes onto people like that. He'd had it done toward him far too many times and seen enough of that for a lifetime. Besides, Kuroba's flirting even when they were young rarely meant anything. And even then it was rare that it extended toward men. There'd never been any indication that Kuroba was attracted to anyone outside of Aoko in all the time Saguru had known him, including now.

"I notice you said Kuroba-jisan wasn't interested, but nothing about you," Momoi said with a smirk.

And he had had enough of this conversation. "Momoi-san, this is not an appropriate conversation to be having with your teacher."

"Technically you're not my teacher, you're the club's academic advisor and the first year English teacher, not the second year."

"The fact remains, I'm a member of the faculty and you're a student."

Momoi rolled her eyes. "Do you always retreat into rules when you want to avoid talking about something?"

Saguru's lips pressed into a tight line. "Not that it is in any way your business, but yes, I am attracted to men. That fact does not mean that anything is occurring with Kuroba, nor does it mean that it is appropriate for me to discuss my love life or lack of with a student. Please stop insinuating otherwise."

And remarkably, Momoi backed off, her body relaxing and stance shifting to carefully non-confrontational. "Okay."

"Okay?" She was the type to push and pry, to poke until a situation either fell in her favor or she got something out of it. Saguru wasn't sure if she'd gotten whatever she had been looking for or if she realized a line had been crossed and had decided to respect it.

"Okay," she said again. "I won't bring it up again." Her smile went a little more genuine, "But you know, if you were with Kuroba-jisan, that'd be fine."

"I'm not," Saguru said feeling like a broken record.

"Yes, you said." She waved a hand. "Anyway, all that aside, you're not bad as our advisor. You're not Yumi-sensei, but you'll do."

"Thank you?" Saguru said, bemused.

"Mm. Just keep being tolerable," she said. Momoi waved like she wasn't the one to initiate the conversation, like it was just any other day for the literature club, and left Saguru to finish picking up his papers.

He's take Kuroba's brand of head games over hers, he decided. He wasn't sure what she thought she'd get out of insinuating Kuroba and Saguru were dating, or how any part of the conversation had led back around to him as an advisor, but okay. He could accept that it had happened.

…He'd just revealed his sexuality to a student, hadn't he? Saguru sighed. Well. Out of the students it could have happened with, at least Momoi was one who seemed to hoard tidbits of information rather than sharing them around.

Still, he had to wonder where she'd gotten the impression that he was dating Kuroba. For a moment he tried to picture dating Kuroba. On the one hand, the very concept felt foreign as it was Kuroba. On the other… Saguru waved the thoughts away. It was hardly the sort of thoughts he should be having about a friend. And that was all Kuroba was. A friend. And that was too valuable to muddle with anything else.