Cheers darlings, slightly smaller chapter than usual. This is due to this being the second part of what was originally chapter 5. I added the first scene this week so this chapter wouldn't be too short. I decided to cut chapter 7 up in two also, as so far has turned over 10K, and I decided that is an entirely too big a piece to edit and edit and edit – meaning there are now currently 8 chapters, instead of the originally 6. Oh dear.

Special thanks to Addy01 and everyone who reviews and like my story.

Warning for: mild mature content

Wordcount: ca. 7.5K

Published: 13. November 2016

Please enjoy!

…

And the sign said "The words of the prophets

Are written on the subway walls

And tenement halls

And whispered in the sounds of silence"

Disturbed

…

Chapter 6: Whispered

…

"When are you planning on asking her out?"

The subsequent sputtering was expected as Hattori Heiji's porcelain cup froze in front of his lips and his eyes turned comically wide at the question. The mug trembled as Heiji tried to reel in his thoughts, and for a moment it looked as though it would slip through his fingers and spill the hot liquid all over the detective.

Shinichi only batted his eyes stoically at the display with a smile twisting in the corners of his lips. He took a sip of his cup, and was marginally displeased by the successive sweet taste of overpriced tea that coated his palate. Whoever had prepared the tea, he would be sure to give them a stern talking to at a later date.

"This really isn't the time nor the place for that topic of discussion," Heiji finally managed to stutter when he became coherent again. He barely managed to keep his tone polite and refrain from hissing like a defensive rattlesnake.

"I think it's the perfect place for this conversation," Shinichi parried with a friendly hum, his eyes low as he peered at the Osakan detective through his eyelashes with a shimmer of mischief gleaming maliciously. "Anyone listening in to this conversation would believe we are just friends meeting up to catch up on each other's life."

Heiji did not look remotely appeased as he put down his porcelain cup with a yellow flower embroidery rather forcefully on the table. For a moment, everything jingled as gravity made everything jump. "Drinking freaking tea. I'm sorry, but straight men don't meet up at overly expensive café's to share a cuppa with a mate," he grumbled underneath his breath.

Shinichi could not find himself to disagree. He would rather have preferred a cup of coffee. "I did tell you that you didn't have to join me –"

"Of course I did," Heiji huffed, his eyes never leaving the golden liquid once as he spoke. "Drinking tea alone is even more sad. Not to mention suspicious."

Shinichi's lips twitched upwards, no longer able to keep his features stoic from the amusement bubbling on right underneath the surface for the last fifteen minutes. His eyes gazed towards the open and busy crowded street just outside the barriers of the café. From this spot, they had a nice view of the entire area. The little teashop was on the ground floor, and the large buildings of Beika towered above them. To their right, they could barely see the north-west entrance to Haido Park. A zebra crossing cut through the oncoming traffic, and the detectives' eyes drifted across the crowd every few seconds.

"You are entirely too obsessed with your appearance. Some would call it vain," Heiji flushed at the accusation, but Shinichi continued before he could interject. "It's a common trait in animals when they try to attract a protentional partner. Their exterior façade, how people interact with them and not stick out from normal behaviour. It increases the chance of looking appealing. So I repeat, when do you plan on asking Kazuha out?"

Heiji's expression of displeasure was made clear by the tension of shoulders and the clenching of his jaw. He had crossed his arms in front of his chest which looked defensive. Flickers of dark emotions flashed across his features in a mixture of aggravation, fear, uncertainty and distress at the prospect. "I can't," came the soft reply, barely above the volume of mumble.

"Why not?" Shinichi responded immediately, picking up his cup and taking a small sip of the liquid.

Heiji thrummed his fingers into the flat surface of the table, avoiding the other detective's gaze. "What if she doesn't –" his voice trailed off, however Shinichi mentally supplied the last of the sentence with: what if she doesn't return my feelings?

He could not decide whether he felt a sting of sympathy for seeing his friend so distressed, or aggravated at how Heiji could clearly not see the clues in front of him that suggested – or even verified for that matter – that Kazuha was just as in love with the Osakan detective. It was slightly amusing how people tend to be so blind when it came to their own personal life – detectives more so.

"I keep telling you to confess your –"

"Let's talk about something else," Heiji cut in rather forcefully, his voice of tone indicated his anguish about the whole topic. His fingers curled into the fabric of his jeans, and for a moment a flicker of shame flashed in his eyes. Shinichi suddenly felt a sting of guilt over his persistence over the topic – as he knew his friend felt as though the scar on his cheek had ruined his face. Who could possibly want to date someone who was broken? Shinichi's stomach dropped at the prospect, as it was a feeling they both indulged in.

Shinichi decided to let it be, and a tense silence settled over them. Reaching for his cup, he fiddled with the hank. Their eyes drifted back towards the streets, gaze observant and scrutinizing as they tried to seek out any sign of misdemeanants from the crowd. They were not the only one from the police department hiding around. They had received a solid clue as to the place of a possible bombing. Shinichi had opted to sit in one of the café's, as a person with a cane would not necessarily go unnoticed by a crowd if he were to stand around for a long period of time or circle the same area.

"How's your boyfriend?"

Shinichi had to blink for a fraction of a second before understanding clicked in, and he shot his friend an unamused glare. "Retaliation is not how you properly deal with a situation you dislike, Hattori. It's immature."

Heiji pursed his lips, his hand convulsing around the cup he had between his palms. "It's surprising how you can still be so rigid after spending so much time in the company of Kuroba. I was hoping he was being a bad influence of you."

Shinichi lifted an eyebrow. "Are you implying I have no sense of humour?"

The Osakan's lips quirked upwards, and his eyes glowed as he picked up his tea to take a sip of it. "I'm not implying."

Shinichi was suddenly filled with the urge to throw the remainder of the liquid in his cup on his friend's face in childish revenge, despite only a moment earlier lecturing about proper behaviour. However, he swallowed the urge with the knowledge he had started their juvenile interaction in the first place, and let it slide.

Heiji licked his lips as he peered at him with a curious expression now that their usual teasing banter had subsided. "So you are not dating?"

Shinichi shook his head sharply, unsure whether he should be amused or aggravated at the inquiry. Truth be told, he was not entirely certain if Heiji was joking.

"Huh, I could have sworn. With Kuroba clearly being –"

"Can I borrow your phone?" he cut in and held his hand out in the direction of his friend, not interested in hearing the continuation of Heiji's mulling thoughts. He was not interested in knowing how his friendship with Kaito was perceived from an outsider's point of view – and suddenly he knew exactly how the Osakan detective was feeling whenever he prodded on the subject about him and Kazuha.

Heiji looked puzzled for a moment, before reaching down to hand him the phone. Shinichi grabbed it and nodded his thanks, before leaning backwards in his seat. He unlocked it with ease, and had no need to think twice as he wrote in the password. Heiji did not comment once at the display, and instead kept a lookout.

Finally finishing typing, Shinichi put the phone on the surface of the table with a stoic expression. He did not have to wait long, before it started to buzz. With a quirk of his lips, he accepted the call before Heiji could react.

The Osakan frowned at him in confusion. "What are you –"

"Heiji –" Kazuha's voice drifted from the phone. There was a lightness to her tone, one filled with a mixture of hope and giddiness in anticipation. "Why did you never tell me how you felt –"

"This is Kudou Shinichi, if you'll give me a moment to explain, I'll give you Hattori."

There was only a second of silence from the other end, and he could almost feel the insecurity wafting from the woman. Shinichi's expression turned softer at that, and suddenly his heart sped up a second in guilt but he swallowed it down immediately. He had started this, and he would damned well finish it.

"I might have written that text message, but I promise you by the honour of my title as a detective, it's what Hattori feels about you from the bottom of his stubborn heart."

A strangled noise came from the direction of Heiji, before the table convulsed violently as the Osakan detective almost threw himself across it in an attempt to snatch the phone from Shinichi. Taking piety on him, he held the cell phone carefully in his friend's direction as though a ferocious creature was standing opposite him with the intent to maul.

The phone was pilfered from his grip swiftly and Heiji breathed into the phone with panic creeping in his tone of voice. "I swear to god Kazuha, this was all Kudou's fault –" He stilled immediately as the woman responded, and the pale expression on the detective's face shifted to one of bright red and his mouth popped open in disbelief. His eyes darted from Shinichi to the phone, to the floor, before he managed to stutter out a 'excuse me' as he turned to leave for privacy. A chair was knocked over from Heiji's hurry.

Shinichi raked his hand through his hair, wondering for a moment what disastrous consequences would follow in his wake after this. He really did hope they managed to confess their feelings in a healthy way – Heiji and Kazuha as a couple with be interesting to behold. He doubted he was the only one who had gotten tired of watching them dance around each other for nearly four years now – especially since neither had shown any inclination of moving past their childhood crush. Perhaps all either needed was a forceful push in the right direction.

He let his eyes drift back towards the street and gazed on the oncoming traffic with a scrutinizing expression. He felt a headache brewing behind his brow at the entire debate, and he would have rather been out in the crowd on the move if he had the choice. It was easier to spot perpetrators when one interacted with suspects directly. It was just another thing Shinichi had been deprived off by his own hubris. If only he could travel back in time and make sure he never followed after Gin on that fateful evening.

He shook his head to clear his mind of the melancholic thoughts, and he started to thrum his fingers against the wooden surface of the table as restlessness itched across his skin. His eyes drifted across the crowd for the hundredths time, there was a marginal chance their intel and been mistaken – however, that did not mean anyone should not be vigil.

A woman with two small children clinging to her hands stood waiting for the green light by the zebra crossing. A large, American tourist with bleached blond hair was towering above the natives, and barely managed to not poke someone in the eye with his plastic map over the area from where he had made an abrupt stop in the middle of the crowded corner. Several young teens stood with their noses to their phones as they – presumably – were playing PokemonGO.

A man in his late twenties walked across the zebra crossing, a faded baseball cap propped down to his ears. He wore a light, brown jacket that reached his hip and chatted into a phone. As Shinichi was observing him, he suddenly ended the call, wrapped it in a piece of paper he had been carrying and threw it in the trash.

Alarmed, the detective sat up and reached for his police issued radio. "Possible suspect spotted on the 47th corner heading towards the north west entrance to Haido Park. A male in his late-twenties, approximately hundred and seventy five centimetres tall, wears a red baseball hat and a brown coat."

The static from the radio buzzed for a moment, before a female voice responded. "I have sight of the suspect. In pursuit."

Shinichi let the radio fall back into his pocket as he stood. He threw a few hundred yen bills on the table, picked up his cane and jacket and stepped out of the café after waving to Heiji, before heading in the direction of the trash can for the – possible – burner phone that had been dumped.

It was not before a few hours later, after the culprit had been arrested and given them instruction to how to catch the rest of his terrorism group in exchange for leniency on his jail sentence – that Heiji approached Shinichi again with a spring in his step and a blush adorning his cheeks.

"I'm going to catch the first train back to Osaka."

Shinichi barely looked up from the paperwork that was threatening to fall and burry them all. "Already?" he mumbled evasively, not paying much attention to his friend. When Heiji put a warm palm on his shoulder, he finally glanced up in surprise.

"Thank you, Kudou."

He did not get to bat his eyelids twice, before the other detective turned on his heels to walk away. He was mildly surprised at the tender vulnerability that he had noticed in his friend's tone of voice, and it took Shinichi a moment longer before he remembered what had happened back at the café. His gaze turned softer as he watched Heiji leave, with his heart palpitating in his heart.

It seemed as though he had been correct in his deduction that all either needed was a stern push in the correct direction in order to finally confess their long-harboured feelings. Moving past friendship relation was a difficult task after being friends for a long time – especially with the insecurities that it would not last and destroy something they both cherished immensely. Shinichi had gone through a similar situation with Ran.

"You are very welcome," he mumbled into the now empty room and he sat backwards with a soft sight. It appeared all of his friends were currently in a relationship – excluding Kaito and himself, and he rolled his eyes again over the assumption Heiji had made earlier and snorted at the ridicule of the notion.

…

The saltwater leapt against the stones scattered across the shore. Above their heads loomed a large red bridge, and in the distance they could hear the cawing of seagulls as they observed the people milling about. A half-naked woman had been dragged to land, and she lay awkwardly across the stones, lifeless. She was in her mid-twenties; she would have been partially attractive had it not been for the bloating and pale features from spending - currently – an undefined-time, in the water. Her red dress barely covered her torso, and was ripped on the bottom. She was barefooted.

Shinichi creased his nose in disgust as he watched a few younger officers lingering, he did not need to guess twice to deduce where their gazes loitered. Pursing his lips, he glanced in Takagi's direction, who stood further away writing down observations in his notebook.

"Takagi."

The inspector lifted his attention off the book to glance with curiosity and anticipation burning in his gaze "Kudou-kun?"

"Could you check between her toes?" he asked. Normally, he would have done so himself, however the stones were far too slippery for him to even consider taking a chance to try to balance on it – and he had also been banned to approach them by Megure earlier.

He did not hear the affirmation from the assistant inspector though, as his cell-phone started to buzz in his pocket. He fished it out, checked the caller ID, before accepted the call.

"Kuroba, I don't really have the time –"

His eyes darted to Chiba as he wobbled across the stones in a desperate attempt to keep upright towards him with a curious expression, and Shinichi was forced to lower the phone to answer their unspoken inquiry. "Her manicure is impeccable, but no pedicure. Implies she did not want people to examine her feet."

Takagi's expression cleared with understanding as he crouched down to do as requested by the consultant, but Chiba still looked puzzled at the reason behind the request and he followed to peer over his senior's shoulder as Takagi inspected the deceased.

Shinichi lifted the phone back to his ear, only to hear the rest of Kaito's sentence as he had clearly been singing something as indicated by the melodic tone of the remaining words.

" – to you~!"

Blinking in confusion as to why the magician would be singing in the first place, he responded with a swift tone of voice hiding his bafflement. "Sorry, could you repeat that?"

Once again, he did not catch the response, as Takagi voiced his findings blurred over the reply from the phone. "There are needle marks."

Shinichi nodded as his deduction was confirmed, and Megure who had drifted towards them, announced with gratitude. "As soon as the M.E. identifies her, I want you to go and see if she has any drug arrests and check out the local rehab centres."

Now that that had been settled, Shinichi turned away to withdraw from the scene for some privacy to find out why Kaito had called him.

" – birthday."

The detective frowned down at the phone with his heart hammering in surprise. Had he forgot someone's birthday? Guilt flooded through him at the suggestion, he never forgot any important dates - his friend's birthdays especially. The idea that he had done so now made his stomach coil painfully as his mind churned in desperation trying to dig through his mental calendar

"You are not listening to me at all, are you?" Kaito sighed with exasperation into the phone, snapping Shinichi out of his thoughts.

Swallowing, the detective hurried to respond. "No, I – sorry. I was busy, what did I forget? Whose birthday is it?"

There was a moment of silence from the phone that made Shinichi crease his brows in confusion and worry. Had he really forgotten something important? When Kaito finally spoke, his tone was filled with a mixture of bewilderment and adoration.

"It's your birthday."

The detective froze for a moment, before frowning down at the phone to check the date. The Fourth of May blinked up at him and he carefully placed the cell back to his ear as he mumbled an incoherent response.

"Speak up," the magician interjected with humour, though utter surprise was still lingering in his tone of voice. "Did you honestly forget it was your birthday?"

Clearing his throat, Shinichi had his gaze glued on an oval stone below his feet – having an urgent need to lower his eyes despite not needing to hide from any scrutinizing gazes. "I don't have a habit of memorizing unimportant events."

Kaito guffawed into the phone. It made the line rattle with noise and the detective lifted the cell a few centimetres from his ear lest he got deaf from the sudden sound. The magician's voice was suddenly soft as he spoke, and Shinichi's heart fluttered in surprise.

"How is that not an important event? It's the day you were born into the world."

Shinichi's mouth turned dry and he swallowed weakly from the tenderness reflected in Kaito's words, feeling rather odd about the whole ordeal. Why was everyone so obsessed with the day of his birth? He had never seen the point of celebrating it with reverence.

"Kuroba –" he mumbled, feeling rather bashful and lacking the word to describe the oddly warm in his chest that appeared for no apparent or logical reason. He hadn't even been aware that the magician knew the date of his birthday.

Kaito suddenly cleared his voice sharply, and his voice increased in volume as he spoke with a clearer tone in order to break the unbidden tension that had settled between them. "Have you spoken to Ran yet? Surely I can't be the first one to call you today."

Frowning, Shinichi lifted the phone from his ear again to peer down at the object. Kaito was correct, he did have an unanswered call from Ran. He immediately remembered that he had declined to answer the call earlier as he had been in an important meeting at the time, and then must have promptly forgotten about it. His heart fluttered again as he realized he had not given it a second thought before answering the call from the magician, despite the detective being too occupied at the time– only to give a verbal response that he was busy. Vertigo swam in his eyes for a moment and he swallowed down his confusion.

Why had he picked up the call from Kaito and not Ran? In the past, he had always answered his childhood friend immediately regardless of whether or not he was busy.

The sudden switch of allegiance and concern baffled him. Just a month and a half ago he would have answered Ran and let Kaito's call go to voice mail, when had the constancy changed in his life? It had always been Ran, and the sudden change should set off alarm bells in his head and panic flooding his systems. Instead, he took in the change with calm, as it only felt natural. Some time in the last few months, his heart was no longer fluttering at the mere thought of her.

He let a small smile curl on his lips in relief at the proof that he had finally finally started to move on. It had happened unbidden and unexpectedly by the detective, and he would be the first one to admit that he could be rather slow at recognizing his own feelings.

"No, I was too busy to answer when she called. I'll call her later," he spoke with a softer tone than he intended. There must have been a lightness of his tone or perhaps giddiness, as Kaito made a surprise noise in the back of his throat.

"Did something happen?"

Shinichi shook his head, his heart still fluttering – before remembering that the magician was not there to detect the tacit response. "Nothing is wrong," he breathed out, a content tone spiking his voice. "I just made an epiphany." He leaned back on the balls of his feet and glanced up at the over-clouded sky overhead. The sun barely managed to shine from behind the obscuring clouds every few minutes, and the sunlight felt warm and comfortable every time it shone down on him.

"Which is?" Kaito prompted with curiosity, and the detective could imagine how he was frowning into the phone at the revelation.

"I've matured," he responded cryptically with a grin twitching his lip. There was a short pause as the magician tried to decrypt the encoded message. He was not lying, it felt as though he had. For over a decade, Ran had been the only woman in his life he could imagine being with – growing out of the affection felt as if a burden had been lifted from his shoulders and he could finally be the friend she deserved. It was a freeing and refreshing thought.

"Are you calling me old?" Kaito finally responded with a confused frown. "I'm only 11 months older than you –" there was another short break. "Do you even know when my birthday is?"

"Twenty-first of June," Shinichi responded smoothly to the gibe. "I remember important dates."

The magician huffed into the phone, sounding both exasperated and fond. "You are impossible."

The detective did not miss a beat before grinning as he interjected briskly. "Isn't that why you love me?"

There was a moment of silence before Kaito spoke with a low and lingering tone. "True."

A flush crawled up from the detective's neck in response, and his eyelids fluttered. His heart was hammering in surprise from the clearly unintended tenderness from the magician, and for a moment he was not sure what to say or do. His mind was still stuck on the realization he was no longer pining over Ran, and so he was not sure how to digest the answer to his teasing words. He cleared his throat and he turned his head back towards the crime scene – for a moment there he had completely forgotten where he was as he had been too absorbed in the conversation.

"Listen, I should go. I'm still at a crime scene –"

"Wait, hang on. You are working on your birthday?" Kaito's tone rose in disbelief, as he clearly could not imagine why anyone would voluntarily spend their birthday anywhere near a dead body. "That's not a way to celebrate your –"

"I forgot about it, alright?" Shinichi flushed at the magician's outrage and clear worry over his sanity, he bit down the urge to say I love my job, why wouldn't I do what I love on my birthday? As it would only make Kaito question his rationality even more.

"That's it," he groused out with a commanding tone. "I'm going to come pick you up and do something appropriate and fun, as we haven't decided on a date for your surprise birthday party yet." There was a moment of silence, before the magician swore under his breath. "Forget what I just said."

Shinichi mimicked locking his mouth all the while, trying to keep the laughter bobbling in his throat from escaping. For all Kaito's expert of keeping secrets, he had a habit of blurting the less vital ones out once he was excited. It was quite endearing. "I have no idea what you are talking about," he replied dutifully.

"Good," he hummed in relief, and there was a clear smile in the tone of voice. "Now, where are you –"

"Kaito," Shinichi interrupted, only realizing a second later that he had used his friend's first name by accident. Swallowing it down, he continued. "I appreciate the gesture, but I don't have time today. How about tomorrow instead?"

There was a short, clearly disappointed silence from the other end of the phone. When the magician finally spoke, his tone was light to hide the dissatisfaction underneath a cheerful voice. "You better, or I'll booby-trap your apartment with party-poppers."

Shinichi's heart fluttered again as warmth spread in his chest, leaving a tingle of bliss from Kaito's persistence – of wanting to spend time with the detective to the point of being disappointed when their plans did not align. It had been a long while since Shinichi had had the opportunity to celebrate his birthday as himself – or at all. Truth be told, he looked forward to every interaction he had with Kaito – and though Kaito had not needed to call the detective just to wish him a 'happy birthday', or sing for that matter, it made Shinichi smile with fondness that he did so.

"I'm half inclined to believe your threat," he hummed with a blush blossoming on his cheeks, "I normally have a policy of not giving in to terrorism. But I think I might relent just this once for the sake of protecting my apartment."

"Smart choice, Meitantei," Kaito grinned in response though there was a hint of satisfaction, and Shinichi's lips quirked upwards as they fell back into familiar steps. The magician never let him down coming with quick and witty replies no matter what the situation. Their friendship was easy-going and fun, and he would not change it for the world.

…

That was how he found himself sitting on the neighbour's couch the day after, with confetti in his hair, a disfigured birthday cake which Kaito had opted to try baking rather than have a store-bought one. Shinichi appreciated the gesture, all the while trying to keep from grimacing every time he took a bite of the tart and slightly burned slab.

They slouched on the furniture, while The Princess Bride played on the television in the background. Shinichi was holding a bottle of beer in his left hand, and he felt a comfortable buzz in the back of his mind – long since lost count of how many bottles he'd had.

"I really needed this, thank you." He shot his friend a lazy smile. Feeling the tension and the ever-present headache brewing behind his brows from the stress of multitasking his consulting job and school subsiding. He had been better at taking some time on his own as Kaito had suggested – but more often than not, the magician would steal him away if he thought the detective looked tired.

Kaito hummed in agreement, and lifted his own bottle to clink it against the detective's. "For peace and quiet."

Shinichi's eyes drifted back to the screen, though his attention kept going back to Kaito's warm presence next to him on the couch. Deciding to give up pretence of watching the movie, he spoke the first thought on his mind.

"Don't you have an exam on Tuesday?"

"Yeah, in Aerospace engineering. It'll be a breeze though, as it's only a theoretical exam rather than a practical one."

The detective's lips twitched in amusement. "Only you'd say that topic is easy, Kuroba," he succumbed to the desire to reach out and ruffle Kaito's mop of hair. The strands were silken and smooth underneath his fingertips. He received a smile that made his heart fluttering in response as he felt the magician's head lean against his hand. Shinichi only lingered for a moment longer before withdrawing and he turned to gaze back on the television.

There had been a noticeable shift in their relationship ever since Kaito opened up about his secret of being Kaitou KID. For once in the last nine months, he felt as though he truly knew the ins and outs of the magician, even though he kept doing unpredictable actions that kept the detective amused. He could not entirely pin down what made the magician tick, and it was refreshing. They had grown closer, even more so than before. And rather than worry for Kaito's safety of becoming a part of the detective's life. - he had been worried that Kaito would get drag into his brand of trouble like his other friends had. Now he could now no longer imagine not having the magician in his life. The very thought was unthinkable.

"Hey," Kaito turned to peer at him through his eyelashes with a hesitate smile on his lips. "Do you have any plans for the summer holiday?"

Shinichi parted his lips to respond –

"And don't say you'll be working on cases for the police."

– and let his mouth clam shut with an audible 'click' and a flush adorning his cheeks.

Humour blazed the magician's eyes as he continued. "I know Ran and Sera invited you to their tour of America, but I know you aren't keen on the idea," his smile turned softer as he regarded the detective. "My mum's boyfriends have a mini-castle in France. So if you want – that is to say –" he bit his lips sudden as he looked uncertain as to whether or not to continue.

Shinichi's heart started to flutter in his chest again as a warmth spread across his insides. Truth be told, he had forgot about planning for a trip for the holiday – he had been too busy, and travelling alone was not ideal. He had already declined Ran and Sera's proposal, not because he was jealous – he was not anymore, and made peace with himself on that fact - , but out of the consideration that they would rather be alone on their 'honeymoon'.

"Kaito, if you really think you can handle spending that much time with me, I'd be honoured," he replied with a teasing smile on his lips, taking pity on the engineer student, his eyes dancing with appreciation of being asked.

The magician's eyes lit up as they always did whenever Shinichi spoke his first name, and a grin curled on his lips as he bumped his shoulder against the detective's. "I think I can manage to suffer through your company for a little while longer.

The movie eventually ended half an hour later, and only after checking the clock did Shinichi noticed how late it was. He creased his nose, not ready to head back to his own apartment just yet, but logically knew it was about time as he had planned to head in early to the police precinct in the morning - he had promised Takagi to take a look at one of his cold cases.

"I think I should head home now," he voiced his thoughts, though the clear emotions of not really wanting to laced his tone.

Kaito tilted his head in his direction with disappointment. "Already?" he rose from the couch a moment later, not having any intention of arguing if the detective wanted to take the night. He grabbed some of the empty bottles of beer from the table as he did, and Shinichi could see a stagger in his steps as an indication of how clearly intoxicated the magician was.

"Do you want the rest of the cake?" he called from the kitchen.

Shinichi sweated at the offer, unsure if it would be rude to decline after all the work Kaito had been through baking him the cake in the first place. Before he could respond, the magician appeared back in the door frame with a rueful smile.

"I jest, the cake was terrible –"

The detective opened his mouth to disagree –

" – Don't lie," he chided as he could tell Shinichi was about to tell a white lie, "I'm going to use the rest to feed the doves tomorrow."

Shinichi's lips twitched at the image. "Are you sure they won't be poisoned?"

He got a mock-scowl in response. "Don't be rude to the chef. See if I'll ever bake anything else for you again."

He held his palms up in defeat, and his eyes were softer this time as he spoke. "Thank you though, I really appreciated that you tried – so, yeah – thank you."

Kaito's expression softened as a tingle of red flushed his cheeks. There was a moment of silence as they gazed at each other with a tender expression that made butterflies fluttering in the detective's chest and a shiver raked down his spine.

"You really are the best, Kaito. I don't know what I'd done without you," Shinichi lowered his eyes even as a flush crept up from his neck, masking whatever emotions that swam in his eyes as he could not recognize the feeling in his inebriated state. He opted to rise from his seat, and for a moment the room spun around him as blood rushed to his head.

He wobbled slightly and only held his balance by grabbing the back of the coach in order to blink away the white blobs obscuring his vision. There were sudden hands on his shoulders to steady him. He tilted his head to the side to meet the intense and slightly worried gaze of Kaito as a frown twitched on his brow.

"Are you sure you are in any state to walk home? You can take the bed, I'll sleep on the couch –"

"Don't' be daft," he replied rather hurriedly, his disloyal heart beating a step faster. "I'm not going to rob you of your own bed, Kaito."

There was a twitch on the magician's lips, and for a second Shinichi could clearly read Kaito's joking suggestion that they shared the bed flash across his eyes. However it was squashed down as his features twisted into an expression that clearly revealed he was not appeased with the detective's answer. "Still, wouldn't want you to stumble down the stairs. At least let me –"

"Kaito," he repeated the name, only to realize a second later that he had kept referring his friend with his first name for most of the evening. "That's not necessary –" he grumbled out and inched away from Kaito in order to regain some breathing space. He was feeling odd as he gazed into the magician's face, his cheeks tingled and the warmth in his chest would not cease.

A flash of hurt flickered across the magician's eyes as the detective recoiled. He smoothed out his face a second later and he only gave a minuscule nod. "Fine, but I'm going to stalk you from the window just in case."

That produced a snort from Shinichi, and he grinned in response. "I knew you were a lurking creep, but we got a deal."

He lingered for a moment, before turning around and strode towards the door. He reached for his jacket, and took his attention away from the floor. It turned out to be a mistake when he suddenly stumbled when his cane tripped over a stray shoe. He suddenly lost the grip of his stick, and it went cluttering across the ground. Shinichi flayed his arms out trying to find something to hold on to before his weak leg collapsed underneath him at the unexpected weight.

His fingers grazed soft cloth, before he clutched at it desperately. He fell two steps backwards and came to an abrupt stop as his back hit the wooden door rather forcefully. He exhaled sharply as his breath was wrenched from his lungs and for a moment stars flashed across his mind. He only noticed the warm body pressing against his chest a moment later.

He slid open his eyes as a jolt raked down his spine – when had he closed his eyes? – to see the intense gaze of Kaito's eyes a few inches away. His entire vision was filled with the beautiful indigo eyes peering at him with worry, and this time he stopped breathing for a different reason all together. His heart fluttered like a thousand butterflies had invaded and his mouth turned dry.

The unmistakable scent of liquorice and vanilla that was pure Kaito filled his nostrils, and he let himself bask in it for a second, ignoring the ache from the odd way his arm had twisted between their body when he grabbed onto Kaito the same time the magician come to his rescue again. For the moment, he could not care about the sting of discomfort.

"Are you alright?" Kaito's words ghosted across his cheeks, producing another shiver down the detective's spine in the form of a warm and unbidden desire he could not recognize. The magician voice had gone hoarse and his pupils dilated in something else Shinichi could not name in his current state. His though process had long fled out the window: the stray thought of how beautiful Kaito looked – all dishevelled and with a flush on his cheeks from the inebriation and the sudden closeness – leached into his mind, and his fingers suddenly prickled with the desire to swipe his thumb softly against the mole under Kaito's left eye as it for once was not covered up by a concealer.

Shinichi parted his lips to respond – to say anything – and hoped dearly he still had enough breath in his cotton-filled lunges to voice a single word. Kaito's eyes darted towards the detective's mouth. A second ticked by, and suddenly they were inching forwards – neither knew who had instigated – and their lips met in a mash of teeth and tongues. Shinichi let go of Kaito's shirt to rake his fingers into the magician's hair as they deepened the kiss.

It was desperate and hungry, filled with need, and someone keened as their tongues tied in a battle of dominance. A familiar heat pooled in Shinichi's stomach and he let out a soft gasp in response to Kaito removing his mouth to both inhale a puff of much needed air, and to let his lips graze the detective's jaw with butterfly kisses – they sent a jolt of electricity in their wake. He bent his neck in a pant, and Kaito nipped a love-bite on his skin as he gracefully accepted the invitation.

Shinichi's heart wouldn't stop palpitating, and he felt light-headed as he was wrapped in a cocoon of Kaito – the feeling of lips on his skin, the warmth from their chests pressed together, and rough hands suddenly dipped underneath his shirt that sent a sparkle of warmth tingling through him and he let out another lustful gasp in response.

His back suddenly arched as Kaito bit down on the junction between his neck and shoulder, and for a brief moment, his groin pressed against the magician's. This time a deeper groan was wretched from his throat, and he tugged on Kaito's hair so he could lick into the magician's mouth. He tasted of beer and the tart cake, but there was an unmistakable flavour of liquorice and vanilla that was pure Kaito.

The magician groaned into his mouth, and suddenly he was pushed against the door, the doorknob pressed against his hip but he ignored it as he succumbed to the waves of pleasure washing through him like an oncoming typhoon. Kaito grabbed his good leg and suddenly Shinichi was half lifted from the floor as he twisted his leg around Kaito's hips for better balance.

The magician only gave him a moment to adjust before he started to roll his hips forward in an unrelenting speed as their groins were rubbed together again and again. Shinichi could not do anything put hang on desperately as moans were forced from his throat, all from the electrifying pleasure filling his stomach. His jeans were impossible tight at this point and the fabric gave only more painful friction.

"Shinichi," Kaito panted out his name with such yearning and affection that the detective was forced to open his eyes again – he had not noticed they had drifted close – to meet the magician's gaze. They were ablaze with desire and lust that made Shinichi's heart fluttering wildly and his throat went dry. With a jolt of surprise, he remembered what was going on – he was in Kaito's apartment, rubbing against his friend, exchanging hungry and desperate kisses. His mind had scattered into a thousand pieces again as lust and arousal thrummed through his veins –it had been so very long since he had been intimate with anyone.

Kaito's rotated his hips, and the new friction made him arch his back as the pleasure sent another wave of electric sparks, and the intense pool accumulating in his lower region felt as though they were on fire from the burning desire.

"Kai –" he started to moan in response but it was shortly replaced with a thrived groan as the magician bit gently on his under lip. The pain suddenly cut through the haze in his mind, and he finally remembered the wrongness of their predicament. They were two friends – both entirely male – rubbing against each other in desperate eagerness, not to mention intoxicated, and suddenly his stomach dropped with a foreboding feeling and he pushed against Kaito's chest with panic bubbling in his chest. Once the magician realized what was going on, he would most likely be filled with revulsion –

Though the pressure was not particularly strong, Kaito let himself be pushed away. They were still so close, almost glued to the hips as the magician was still gripping his leg. The gaze that met him was still filled to the brink with desire underneath the inquiring expression, and a tongue darted out to moisten the lips. Shinichi's eyes lingered on them only for a moment before he yanked his leg free.

Kaito suddenly recoiled, and he could hear the magician's throat hitch as horror flashed across his eyes – he must have realized their predicament, and Shinichi's stomach twisted painfully as he lowered his gaze, not wanting to see the repulsion in his friend's eyes at what they had been doing just a moment earlier.

His heart was hammering too fast, and his ears buzzed as his thoughts were just out of reach. He did not want to see the disgust, possibly anger over letting Shinichi kiss him – why had Shinichi done that? He grabbed after his cane blindingly before turning to yank the door open. He did not look back to meet Kaito's gaze –he was entirely too afraid of what he would see – as he fled with guilt burning in his chest.

Had he just ruined a cherished friendship with Kaito? His eyes prickled and panic bubbled against his throat as he stumbled down the corridor, trying not to feel like the fleeing coward he was.