Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. Any recognizable characters are just played with.

A/N: Couldn't help it, the first kinda sucked after reviewing it and I couldn't resist fixing it up. I changed the promise, fixed the grammar and all. I'm keeping the first because I want to compare them. I'm certain this one is much better than the first though who knows...

Characters/Pairing: KaitoxAoko

Genre: Romance and a little bit of Angst.

Note: Still Aoko's P.O.V., a bit more different than the first.

It was a perfect night.

The stars shone brightly in the sky accompanied by the full moon.

I couldn't help but think how beautiful and brilliant it was. How very perfect the night seemed to be.

I couldn't help but think how it contrasted me right now, both in the way I feel and look.

I found myself here slumped beside a park bench. I can feel my face strained with my constant crying. I eyes and lips feel swollen, my hair was astray and unruly from all the running and I can feel beads of sweat trickling down the side of my face.

I was tired. So very tired.

I was beyond exhausted, not only physically but emotionally as well.

Why was everything so confusing?

Why is the truth so elusive, always hiding behind a wall of lies?

"Kaito…" the name escaped my lips; soft and silently, I, myself almost didn't even notice it.

I looked up the sky. It was a dark blue, like the deep ocean. I couldn't help but envy the twinkling stars that hung on the said sky.

They were so true. They shone their own lights and people love them still. They don't lie. They hide nothing.

It was so unfair.

Why couldn't people be like stars?

Why did they have to lie? Why did they have to hide things? Why couldn't they just be true?

I felt a lone tear travel down my cheek, I snorted. I thought I was dried up of tears. The lone droplet continued its way down as I ignored it.

"How…" How could you have lied?

I couldn't say anything, not that there was anyone to talk to at the moment. I bit my lip as I closed my eyes trying fervently to stop any oncoming tears. I really thought I was dried up of tears. I felt that familiar prickling sensation behind my eyes. I guess not.

I want to say I hate you. Why can't I?

I squeezed my eyes tighter as the events of the night flooded my senses.

It was a heist, like the usual only I was added to the equation. I was with Dad that time it started so I was able to participate in the chase, only I decided that I would take a different route. I was able to isolate him, I chased him throughout the whole floor with my weapon of choice, a mop.

I was finally able to corner him in one section of the floor. Surprisingly I was able to keep him trapped for a few minutes, Dad along with the Task Force came. I felt proud at the approving smile my father gave me.

"You're caught KID." Or so we thought.

KID smirked at us. I was confused at the act but I held my ground. I narrowed my eyes at him as he shifted.

Suddenly I couldn't see anything except pink, my eyes squeezed tight to prevent any smoke to enter. I coughed and dropped the mop I was holding as I tried to cover my mouth. Then at that time I felt something pass by me. I squinted to get a look and I saw KID's figure running away from us.

I felt anger boil inside me. I forgot about the smoke and blindly and effortlessly grabbed my mop up and ran after him.

That jerk was going to pay!

He was faster this time but the daily routine Kaito and I have had given me enough speed and endurance to be able to keep up with the elusive thief.

Out of frustration and anger of not being able to corner him again I swung my mop at him. Suspiciously he seemed to know where and when the mop was going to hit, he dodged every swing perfectly.

"Stay still jerk…" I muttered softly but not softly enough I suppose since KID snickered at me as he visibly slowed down but still kept himself at a distance.

He was playing with me! The jerk! He's just like Kaito!

I was seething, I swung my mop more viscously than before, it was less calculated and more of impulse. I was not letting this jerk get away.

Finally after a lot of failed attempts my mop finally hit something. It wasn't as hard as I would have liked it to be but finally hitting him did give me pleasure.

He stumbled a little, tipping of his hat. I heard a clink and I followed the sound. I saw a round metallic and glassed object roll away from KID.

He caught himself before he even fell and stopped.

He did not face me. Maybe it was because he didn't want me to see his face. After all Kaitou KID's identity was a secret.

Slowly he turned.

I gasped. I couldn't move, I was frozen as I blinked again and again. This was not true.

"Aoko, I—"

"Take that mask off!" I finally got my voice back. It's a mask I told myself remembering what my father said about KID impersonating people close to him. I proved it to Dad then that KID wasn't Kaito, so this must be a mask of that stupid thief.

"Take it off I said!" I held my mop at a threatening position. "Show me your real face…you…you…you copy-cat!" Lame, but I really couldn't think of anything else especially since KID was making no move to meet my demands.

Then he smiled, he didn't grin or smirk like he usually did, he smiled. And it wasn't a happy smile; it contained so much sadness and pain.

I bit my lip. Why wasn't he ripping the mask off?

The grasp on my mop tightened as I trembled.

"I can't." he whispered almost silently. He bowed his head slightly; his bangs shadowed his eyes perfectly.

I couldn't help it. I had an answer but I had to know, "Why?" I heard myself choke out.

He looked at me, his eyes almost mirroring mine.

"Because Aoko, this is my real face." He said it with so much pent emotions that it shook me.

The statement slowly, painfully sunk into my mind.

Kaito was KID.

KID was Kaito.

Which was true?

"It can't!" I yelled, trying to deny the fact. "You can't be! Kaito…Kaito wouldn't…" Then it came. Tears spilled out of my eyes as I tried to stand still. My knees felt like it would give up on me at any given moment.

I looked up at him again and that was my undoing.

His eyes told me everything.

And just as I began to read the emotions in those indigo orbs his Poker Face slid into place.

I wasn't sure on what to do so I did what my raw instinct told me to.

Run.

It told me to run so I did so. I passed my father, who looked at me with a confused and concerned expression; I passed curious onlookers on the street. I passed everyone on the heist scene because I could not bring myself to face anything right now.

Everything seemed so fragile right now, I couldn't trust anyone, not even myself to handle it.

So then after tiring myself out with running away and crying I finally found a spot to rest. And you guessed it, right beside the park bench. It was quiet and cool and slightly comforting.

I didn't realize that I wasn't alone until I felt a weight on my shoulder. It seemed to release me from my worries. I opened my eyes and find out that the weight was caused by the hands on my shoulder.

I knew, somehow, I knew that it was him. He followed me. But I looked up just to make sure and what greeted my sight almost took my breath away.

Indigo orbs looked at me with such intensity.

I should be angry, really I should but I wasn't. I couldn't feel angry when I saw all the emotions in his eyes. When I saw how pained they looked. I couldn't.

I couldn't bring myself to hate him even if he did lie to me.

Cautiously as if he was just an illusion I reached out my hand and my palm pressed against his cheek. It was warm and reassuring. My hand lingered there for a moment longer as I lost myself in his gorgeous eyes.

He kneeled next to me and his hand rested on top of my hand that was still on his cheek. A few moments of silence passed by us, I noticed that he was trying to compose himself, his eyes were like a crack in his Poker Face.

"I'm…sorry." He whispered hesitantly. I furrowed my brows, I didn't want to hear his apology. I wanted to hear his reason.

His story.

"How long, Kaito?"

He let his hand fall down on his knees as I withdrew mine.

"Two years."

Two years of lying to me and I still can't bring myself to hate him.

"Why?"

"I did it for revenge, or at least that was how it was. I wasn't very sure at first."

I looked at him, I was confused. Revenge?

"Who?" one-word questions seemed to be my only vocabulary for the moment, I waited silently for him to answer.

"My father." Kaito glanced at me before continuing, "when he died, it was no accident it was a planned murder." I gasped at what I heard but kept any question to myself at the moment.

"My father was hired by some Organization and told him to look for the Pandora Gem. The Pandora Gem is a enchanted jewel, and once the Volley Comet passes over the earth and the Pandora gem is held up to the moon's rays, it'll shed its tears and whomever possess it will gain immortality. When my father learned about this he refused to follow his orders and got killed for it." He stropped and sighed wistfully before continuing, "Eight years later I found out and I took KID's place to avenge my father. I met Jii then and he helps me with my heists."

"Is that why you steal things?" He nodded and I continued, "But why mock my father?"

"Ah—well…" Kaito seemed sheepish at the moment as he scratched the back of his head. "Well, it's just kind of fun to do it."

I felt anger rising in me.

"You jerk!" I screamed before regaining my posture I took in a lungful of air before exhaling. I looked at him seriously, "why didn't you tell me?"

"I wanted to, believe me Aoko I wanted to tell you a lot of time. Especially when I see you so sad because your father's held up on his work, but I knew I couldn't. You being connected to Kaito Kuroba was risky enough but if those people in the organization knew you knew who KID was then it would be a whole lot more dangerous for you."

"I can take care of myself, thank you!" I said indignantly, I felt insulted that he would think I couldn't protect myself.

"I know you can Aoko. I know you're strong and you're brave." I blushed at his words as I listened to him, "But I won't risk it. I can risk my life but I can never risk yours."

"But Kaito…" I was still unconvinced.

"No Aoko. Please, I can't let you into this. These people killed my father just because he wouldn't follow them, these people wouldn't care who got killed as long as they get what they want."

I felt scared. Not for myself but for Kaito, I was scared at what he was facing, of what he was going to face when he would come face to face with these people he talked about.

"This is why I haven't told you because even if you think this is very selfish of me this…this is the only way I could think of. This is the only way I could protect you."

"You idiot…" I murmured as I cupped his cheeks with both my hands and pulled him closer.

He was mere centimeters away from my face. I could feel his breathe brush against my lips.

"You idiot…" I repeated before my lips crashed on his.

The kiss was gentle yet demanding, I pressed closer, I wanted him to know that I want to help him in anyway I could. It was warm and passionate, eager and yet a little cautious. We were inexperienced, or at least I knew I was. His hands went to my hair and entangled themselves in it, mine went to wrap around his neck.

After a while, when our lungs demanded that oxygen be let in, we pulled away though not completely. I looked at his eyes, I swear I could be lost in them whenever and wherever.

"Let me." I said softly as our foreheads rested on each other. His hands were now resting on my waist.

"I can't…"

"Please…"

"Aoko, it's dangerous…"

I pulled away from his hold hesitantly with a frown.

"Kaito, I want to help." I told him firmly.

"You can't."

"Please…if what you're saying is true then everyone around you is in danger whether or not they know you're KID."

My statement seemed to penetrate his defenses since he visibly sagged. I reached out and touched his cheek again, a mimic to my earlier action.

"Kaito, I know this is all hard and I know you'll have a difficult time about all this. I want to help. Dad, you mother, Keiko-chan, Hakuba-kun, Akako-chan, everyone involved with you is in danger not only me and you; on your own can't protect them all the time."

Kaito's hands clenched as he looked at me, his defenses stripped away. He seemed so vulnerable this time. He looked like a lost puppy.

"Just please let me help. I'm not saying I'll go to every heist to catch these people you're saying, I just want to know what you're doing so I can help you protect people close to you."

Kaito sighed in defeat as he smiled softly at me. "Fine. Come by my house tomorrow."

"Alright." Kaito made a move to stand but before he could I grabbed his sleeve. "When all this is over you'll stop being KID right?"

"Right." He stood up and gave a hand out. I took it and he pulled he up.

"Promise?" I had to make sure.

"I promise." He reassured.

When all this is over I'll have Kaito back. Only Kaito, no KID to be in between, just Kaito.

"I'll see you tomorrow, I still need to fix a few things…"

"Where?"

He grinned sheepishly at me, "At the heist. When you left I followed you so I kind of forgot about my hat there."

I giggled as he shot me a half-hearted glare.

"You're an idiot." I told him, still trying to control my giggles. He smirked and leaned closer to my face. I blushed at the proximity and he kissed the tip of my nose then drew back with a Cheshire grin plastered on his face.

"Your idiot." He stated and I gave him one of my own grins.

"That's right."

"Now I must bid my fair lady adieu." He bowed down and tipped an imaginary hat.

"Oh go and get you stupid hat…" and with a little protest on how his hat was not stupid he left. His figure vanished into the dark and before I could leave the park a white dove flew towards me.

It perched on my shoulder and cooed as it rubbed itself on my cheek. I giggled at the soft feathers tickled me. I noticed the red rose the dove held on its beak and I took it.

The flower was fresh bloomed, it smelled wonderfully and the velvety petals felt so nice to the touch.

I realized that this was something akin to a proof of his promise.

The dove on my shoulder cooed again as I petted it with my finger. I held the flower close to me as I walked on back home.

I knew this time, Kaito would never break this promise.

A/N: So how was it? Was it better? Worse? Tell me! Tell me! Pretty PLEASE!!!