Mikau: Hello everybody! Thanks so much for your overwhelming support last chapter! I really appreciated everyone's feedback. Thanks to MeridianGrimm, Katherine Apollo Karma, patternleap, Guest, Bunnyz-chan, and MeitanteiRose! Today's short is just a sweet little one. I'm pretty happy with how it came out. Let me know what you think! Thanks in advance guys!

Disclaimer: If I owned it, I'd be caught up on the anime. -.-; As it stands, I'm on episode 681; so close, and yet so far away.

…

When Plans Don't Pan Out

Kuroba Kaito closed the door softly behind him, dragging himself across their dorm room as if through sludge and then collapsing face down on Saguru's bed. Perhaps because he lacked the energy or will to climb up to his own bed on the top bunk.

The detective forcibly tore his gaze from the case file before him and blinked at his roommate. He mentally debated over whether he should ask. Should he say something, or did Kuroba want to be left alone? He seemed exhausted—one of those feelings of being drained that transcended the mere physical and weighed down on the soul.

Kaito saved him from his dilemma by groaning into the comforter, "You will never believe what just happened to me!"

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Sometimes the magician felt like chatting after the initial complaint, other times he didn't.

Kaito nodded as he sat up, tears slowly rolling down his cheeks. He looked down at the floor in shame, his face going red—perhaps he was blushing in embarrassment, but it could also be the rosy color that rose in the cheeks naturally when one cried.

"Hey now." Saguru fidgeted nervously for a moment before grabbing a box of Kleenex and coming to sit on his bed beside his friend. "It's alright, Kuroba. You're okay. What happened?" It was unnerving, to say the very least, when his normally strong, unshakable crush cried. It made Saguru uneasy on several levels.

Kaito screwed his eyes shut and shook his head, taking a tissue and blotting at his cheeks. "I confessed to Aoko."

Saguru's eyes widened. "About the whole vigilante thing?!" Even though Kaito had never admitted it out loud to Saguru. It was one of those enormous pink elephants in the room that they sometimes looked at and gestured to but never verbally acknowledged as such.

"No!" Kaito grumbled, roughly elbowing his roommate. "I confessed to Aoko."

Saguru's eyelids stretched even further apart. "Ooooh…. A-And?" Obviously nothing good…for Kaito at least.

Kaito buried his face in his hands and mumbled. "Well, first the little airhead said that of course she liked me too. I'm her best friend, after all. When she finally understood what I meant…It's not just that Aoko doesn't like me; Aoko doesn't like men. Aoko likes Koizumi Akako."

Saguru's lips formed a small "o" shape as his eyes went wider still until they were roughly the size of small grapefruits or large oranges. Getting it back together, Saguru shook his head and pulled Kaito into a one-armed hug so that the brunette's head rested on Saguru's shoulder.

"Kaito, I'm so sorry." And he was. Really. Even though a part of him was dancing for joy that Nakamori Aoko no longer stood between him and a shot at Kaito's hand in marriage, his heart hurt for his love. There was a part of him that cried out in grief along with his friend. It pained him to see Kaito suffering.

Kaito nodded, pressing into Saguru's side.

Saguru turned to face Kaito and wiped away his tears gently. Saguru paused as his eyes caught in his beloved's. Even when puffy and bloodshot, Kaito's were the prettiest eyes he'd ever had the privilege of witnessing.

Lost in thought, he lovingly stroked Kaito's face, his own eyes trailing down to Kaito's lips. He leaned in, and Kaito's eyes slowly slipped closed, not resisting, giving in. He could feel Kaito's breath on his face, warm and coming in short, jagged spurts.

Saguru stopped, coming to his senses. Instead of a kiss, Saguru pulled Kaito into a tight embrace, running his hand in comforting circles on Kaito's back.

Kaito blinked, surprised at this turn of events and wondering what had happened to change Saguru's mind. Kaito had known about Saguru's little crush since back in high school. Why hadn't the blonde pounced when he'd had the chance? Slowly those thoughts melted away as Saguru's hand kept rubbing round and round and round in that almost hypnotic, calming motion.

Kaito surrendered into Saguru's arms, letting go and softening into the hold as his eyes slipped shut once more. Peace seemed to envelope him, and gradually the tears stopped. Still the soothing circles on Kaito's back continued for almost another twelve minutes.

"Feeling a little better?" Saguru whispered, the sound of his voice tugging Kaito back into awareness, into the present.

"Yeah," Kaito hummed, gradually sitting up, reluctant. "Thanks."

The two separated awkwardly.

"Any time."

"Sorry about that." Kaito went back to blushing in shame. "I just—"

"—You don't need to explain anything, Kuroba," Saguru assured. "It's fine. Don't worry about it."

Kaito bit his lips, hesitantly glancing up at his friend. "Still…thanks."

They stood, and an awkward silence overtook them, neither of them sure what to do.

Kaito shifted from one foot to the other and nibbled at the inside of his cheek. "Hey, earlier…why…why didn't you kiss me? It seemed like you were going to, but then you stopped. I know you've liked me for a while, so…why…? I mean…I wouldn't have stopped you."

Saguru smiled softly, coming over and tussling Kaito's wild hair. "You wanted me to take advantage of you when you were vulnerable?"

"Y-Yeah?" Kaito begrudgingly confessed. There was an unstated "wanna make something of it?" tacked on at the end.

Saguru simply smiled, eyes looking at Kaito as if he were the most precious, beautiful creature in the world. "Numbing the hurt with physical pleasure isn't such a good idea. I stopped for your own good…because I love you so much that I can put your wellbeing ahead of my own wants. Me kissing you is not what you need right now."

Kaito's ears turned bright fuchsia at Saguru's bold declaration. "And…what exactly do I need right now?"

"Ice cream," Saguru announced matter-of-factly.

Kaito blinked, head tipping to the side as his face scrunched up in confusion. "Ice cream?"

"Yes," Saguru confirmed. "Come along, let's go get some. Then we'll come back here, give you a nice backrub, and then you'll have a good night's sleep. And then things won't be as bad in the morning."

Kaito opened and closed his mouth a few times as a million different responses came to mind and then flitted away before they could be verbalized. He finally decided on, "I didn't know you liked ice cream. I never see you eat it."

"That's because, truthfully, I don't really care for ice cream." Saguru shrugged. "We're going because you like ice cream. My treat. Now come along."

A small smile bloomed on Kaito's lips as he obediently followed the detective. "Thanks for looking out for me."

Saguru turned to return the smile and pledge, "Always."