DCMK || KaiShin || DCMK || The White Collar Phantom Thief || DCMK || KaiShin || DCMK
Title: The White Collar Phantom Thief – The Secret of Pandora
Fandom: Detective Conan / Magic Kaito
Disclaimer: All rights reserved to Gosho Aoyama for he created the awesomeness that is Kaitou KID. Ah, and Detective Conan, too. This fanfiction on the other hand is entirely mine. No money is made with this, though reviews are more than welcomed.
Tags: m/m, future fic, post-Conan Shinichi, secret reveals, slow-burn, hurt/comfort, canon-typical violence/death, canon-typical magic, canon-typical crossdressing, fake relationship, fluff, adoption, found family, explicit intercourse, anal, oral, f/f, m/f
Main Pairing: Kaito/Shinichi
Side Pairings: Sera/Ran, Saguru/Aoko, Heiji/Kazuha, Makoto/Sonoko, Takagi/Sato
DC/MK Characters:
Task Force: Kuroba Kaito | Kaitou KID | Tsukino Guinevere, Kudou Shinichi, Hakuba Saguru, Nakamori Aoko, Hattori Heiji, Sera Masumi, Koizumi Akako, Furuya Rei | Amuro Tooru | Bourbon, Akai Shuuichi, Takagi Wataru, Sato Miwato, Jii Konosuke
Others: Mouri Ran, Suzuki Sonoko, Kyogoku Makoto, Tooyama Kazuha, Suzuki Jirokichi, Nakamori Ginzo, Megure Juzo, Mouri Kogoro, Kuroba Chikage, Kudou Yuusaku, Kudou Yukiko
Detective Boys: Agasa Hiroshi, Haibara Ai, Yoshida Ayumi, Tsuburaya Mitsuhiko, Kojima Genta
Black Organization: Gunther von Goldberg II | Spider, Snake, Rose
Summary: Akako gives Kaito a prophecy: If KID is not captured by the demon of light, both of them would die and only if he gets captured will he be able to reach his goal. Kaito would rather go to jail than risk Shinichi's life
With Kaitou KID gone, Snake starts going after the jewels more actively and people get killed. It doesn't take Shinichi long to see a connection to KID – and that this is the last branch left of the BO he had taken down.
Shinichi forms a special task-force to end the BO for good. And for that, he needs Kaitou KID's help.
The White Collar Phantom Thief
The Secret of Pandora
Case 5: Kaitou KID v Nakamori Aoko
Kaito had first of all gotten reacquainted with his beloved doves, checking the enclosure. His doves seemed happy here and the enclosure was nice. Shinichi had taken good care of them and given them a good home. How was it possible to fall even more in love with Shinichi...?
Next stop was his new KID cave. He couldn't believe that Shinichi had gotten everything from Jii and brought it here, hiding it, giving Kaito his space for his things. For about an hour or two did Kaito redecorate and arrange everything according to his own needs. Then he fidgeted some with his cards, took his card-gun apart and put it back together, just to busy himself. Quite honestly, he didn't entirely know what to do with himself. He was in Shinichi's home and he was supposed to live here now. What were their boundaries? How did he fit in here?
"So this is my room," whispered Kaito as he paced his own bedroom. "Nice..."
Kid-chan meowed in agreement where she was sprawled out on his bed, pawing at the pillow. He absolutely adored her. And felt honored – and another, strange emotion – that Shinichi had named his thieving little kitten Kid-chan. Smiling, he sat down to caress her fluffy belly.
"...Kaito?" Aoko's voice sounded the same as he remembered it.
He hadn't heard that voice in over a year. Kaito's hands were shaking as he turned toward the door. Her hair was short, cut to barely reach her shoulders. She was wearing some make-up, nothing extreme, just some mascara and a shiny, pink lip-gloss. It had only been a year but she looked so much more... mature? Not the high school girl who used to chase him with a mop.
"Aoko-" Kaito started, and then faltered because he didn't know what else to say.
Where should he even begin? A year ago, she had slapped him and looked at him with angry eyes, crying, telling him that she hated him and never wanted to see his face again. And he understood. And he thought chances of that were high, because he was behind bars and would be there for over a decade. Until Shinichi broke him out of jail. Which still felt a little unreal to him.
"I'm here because Shinichi-kun told me to talk to you," stated Aoko, not looking at him.
"And you listened to him?" asked Kaito with a small, quirky smile.
"I do. He's one of my best friends," replied Aoko honestly, meeting his eyes for the first time. "After you got arrested, he was the only one who understood..."
Who understood what it felt like to love and hate you at the same time, was what Aoko wanted to say, because it was what she was feeling and it was important to her to convey that. But she knew it weren't just her feelings and she knew she had no right to share Shinichi's feelings. She knew he wasn't ready to confront those feelings yet, in any capacity. If she was honest, she didn't entirely know in what manner he loved Kaito, but she knew for a fact that he did. She saw it in his eyes and in the way Kaito had hurt him. Kaito had hurt Shinichi as much as he had hurt Aoko.
"He was the only one who understood what it felt like to trust you and be betrayed by you."
It wasn't entirely what she had meant, but it was close enough. And it hit the right nerve, because Kaito physically flinched away at it. Aoko didn't take joy in hurting Kaito, but she needed him to understand how much he had hurt her. Had hurt them both. Crossing her arms over her chest, Aoko turned to fully face Kaito. He had changed. He was thinner but buffer, at the same time. Ate less in prison? Trained more? There was something guarded to his eyes, that she wasn't used to.
"Shinichi-kun thinks that I should listen to what you have to say. And he thinks I should see you before the... team meets for the first time. I agree with the second part, because I don't know what it'd be like... seeing you for the first time again with so many other people," continued Aoko, aware she was rambling. "Tell me. Tell me whatever you said to Shinichi-kun that convinced him."
Kaito took a deep breath and sat down on the edge of the bed, his gaze aimed at the ground.
/break\
Shinichi wasn't sure where to go first. Seek out Aoko, or check on KID? In the end, Aoko took that decision from him, because he could hear frustrated, muffled noises from the library. When he walked in, she was laying on the couch with her face in the pillow, screaming into it.
"...I take it the conversation didn't go so well?" guessed Shinichi with concerned eyes.
Aoko slowly pushed herself off her pillow to look at him with a frustrated pout. "I don't know..."
After she fully sat up and made room on the couch, Shinichi came to sit next to her. These moments were what he had always struggled with, the emotional ones. He was an analytic person, not an emotional one. Comforting people? That was what Ran did! Hugs and warm words. So he just waited, waited for what Aoko was going to do or say next. To see what she needed from him.
"I am still angry with him!" Aoko's voice was firm, but her expression was soft and vulnerable. "I understand... I understand why he did it. On more levels than one. I am not angry at him for being KID. He was trying to find his father's... killers. He protected innocent people."
"More than he told you, I'd guess," interjected Shinichi gently. "Over the years, he... helped, multiple times, with dangerous situations. He helped put away dangerous criminals and terrorists."
A small noise escaped Aoko at that and she looked at him with intense and inquisitive eyes. "Is this why he hurt you so much? I never... I never wanted to pry into your relationship..."
She seemed nervous to ask this and it only now occurred to Shinichi that his behavior must seem quite erratic to most people. He'd only been chasing KID for a very few short months when he arrested KID. Two more years of history between them, a history only shared between the two.
"Yes," admitted Shinichi, facing away from Aoko. "While I was away, while I was working undercover on that case... I had more than a couple of run-ins with KID and he was... a major nuisance but also an incredible help. We took down a wanna be terrorist ring. Art forgers and thieves. Even the occasional murderer. I came to... We... There is..."
Shinichi ground his teeth together, his hand flexing into a fist. "I thought there was a bond of trust between us. An unspoken kind of agreement, an... alliance, in a way. And he broke that when he cornered me into arresting him. It felt like..."
"Losing a friend?" offered Aoko in a gentle voice, resting a hand on his thigh.
"I guess," Shinichi huffed out a soft laugh, though it was anything but joyful. "And I still don't understand why he did it. I understand why he became KID. I don't agree with his methods and doing it, but I understand the motivation behind it."
"You broke him out of prison," they both stilled as Aoko's words echoed in the room. "And me and Saguru are... We knew what you were doing and we know where he, a wanted fugitive, is right now. We've broken the law, Shinichi-kun. Are we doing the right thing? Or are we just motivated by our feelings for him? A need for his redemption, to help him, to see him out of prison..."
Shinichi's fingers tapped against the armrest to his right, a forceful tapping, not very melodic. Tense like he felt. If he was being very honest with himself – and he tried not to be, especially not when it came to Kaitou KID – he didn't know the answer himself. Kaitou KID had been his blindspot for a very long time now, the elusive thief tended to mess with Shinichi's moral compass. He had let the thief go more often than he could count and he had worked with this criminal more often than he was comfortable admitting. Aoko sat next to him, waiting patiently.
"I don't know," admitted Shinichi finally. "I do know that it's the right thing to do. I know that he doesn't belong behind bars, that he can actively help save lives right now by being out here and working with us. I know that right now, it is the right thing for him to be here and not behind bars. I... do not know if that decision was purely made for the better of all."
Minutes passed in silence, the both of them simply sitting together. Shinichi was still tapping his fingers against the wood of the armrest, below the cushioning. His thoughts were swirling around Kaitou KID. The manic grin, the flash of his monocle, those intense, dark-purple eyes, the way he moved like a dancer knowing all the steps but dancing to his own tune that no one else could hear.
"I don't know if I can forgive him," admitted Aoko, her fingers clawed into her skirt. "Not for being Kaitou KID, but for... lying to me for all these years. Years, Shinichi-kun! Years. It wasn't just one lie. He didn't just lie once. He lied to me every single day for over two years. Most of the time indirectly simply by waking up every day and deciding not to tell me. But so many times, he lied directly to my face. I... I'm not... I'm not stupid, Shinichi-kun. I suspected, many times, I confronted him, I did... I did ruses to try and force the truth out of him – I once took him out to Tropical Land during a KID heist and I handcuffed us together. But he... He made up elaborate ruses to evade me and lie to me, instead of trusting me and telling me the truth. Why didn't he trust me?"
Her voice wavered. Swimming with tears. They have been here before, many times. The very first time had been during the trial. Shinichi had happened upon her by chance. That had been what had brought them together. He'd been there when she broke down and a bond was forged, a mutual understanding. Biting his lower lip, Shinichi turned toward her and wrapped an arm around her.
"I know," whispered Shinichi, not knowing what else to say. "I know."
/break\
Kaito had been pacing for about an hour now. Couldn't sit still. Sitting still would allow his thoughts to fret even more. He'd talked to Aoko, for the very first time he told her every single truth. His dad, Kaitou KID, Jii, Snake, even the Phantom Lady. At times he'd even drifted off into details about a specific heist or thing that had happened, trying desperately to explain, to make her understand. And even as their conversation had ended, he didn't know if he'd succeeded.
"I feel like it would be my duty to punch you in the face for having made Aoko-chan cry multiple times over the past months, however... I am a gentleman and don't condone such acts of violence."
Kaito winced, making a tortured face. "Hakuba-kun. What... are you doing here?"
"I accompanied Aoko-chan here," replied Hakuba. "I had tea with Kudou-kun while you two were talking. I know the gist of things from Kudou-kun, since I told him about the assassins and he wanted my feedback on his plan. For that, I needed to know this."
"Right and I'm sure you have thoughts and notes on the matter..."
Kaito rolled his eyes in annoyance and turned his attention back to the doves. He'd busied himself with them, because it made pacing feel a little less pathetic. Tama-chan cooed as she came to nestle on his head, snuggling into his hair. Hakuba was roundabout the last person he wanted to see.
"You..." Hakuba paused for a moment as though he was choosing his words. "You have to give her time, Kuroba-kun. She loves you, you're like a brother to her and that didn't stop. She is angry and she needs time. If you give her that... I think that she will come back to you."
"Will she?" Kaito couldn't help but wonder, bitterness in his voice.
"Don't do that," Hakuba stared at him in a disapproving manner. "Don't doubt her now. Trust her."
Kaito swallowed hard at that. Damn, he hated when Hakuba was right. Glowering, he continued filling the bird feeder, hoping Hakuba would just go away if he ignored him.
/break\
"This was a very nice idea from Shinichi-kun," Aoko offered the softest smile.
"Bah, the detective geek only suggested it because he was out of his depth."
"Sonoko!" Ran turned to glare at her. "Don't be mean. I think Aoko-chan is right, it was a wonderful idea. It's been a while since we had a girls night like this."
Ran and Aoko were preparing a light meal for them all while Sonoko mostly just sat there and watched them, Kazuha and Sera were busy preparing everything in the living room. Setting up the movie and drinks for them all. Ran and Sonoko loved doing girls outings – they used to do them with Kazuha whenever they were in Osaka or she was visiting, but now that Kazuha and Heiji were living here, they'd get to see each other much more often, then Sera had come and joined their growing group of friends and Aoko had been the latest addition. Though that had been well over a year by now too, running into her multiple times during heists. They'd built a tentative friendship, talking and having fun when they ran into each other before they started meeting outside of heists.
"I've been meaning to ask this..." Sonoko tilted her head. "Were you and Kuroba-kun ever...?"
It took a second to process for Aoko and then her eyes widened and her cheeks flushed. She quickly turned away from Sonoko to busy herself with the rice. When the silence stretched on, even Sera and Kazuha wandered back into the kitchen, curious to hear what was going on. Kazuha sat down at the table with Sonoko and Sera went to her girlfriend to gently brush Ran's hair out of her face so she could reach Ran's cheek and place a soft kiss on it. Ran's cheek blushed at that and her eyes sparkled, making Aoko smile as she watched them.
"I once thought so," admitted Aoko. "I once thought that he was my one true love or something like it. Which, I know was childish naivety, to think you meet the love of your life as a grade schooler, get together in high school and live happily ever after. Your first love doesn't have to be your last love, but it will always stay with you, you know?"
"I do," whispered Ran, her voice heavy with unspoken emotions.
Aoko turned to look at Ran, offering he a sad smile. "He was my first love and I think I will always love him, even if I am no longer in love with him. He's my best friend. Was my best friend. And I don't know what we are right now, or what we could possibly be in the future."
"Because he's a criminal?" asked Kazuha confused. "I'm sorry, I just..."
"It's not necessarily that," Aoko shook her head. "It's the lying. The way he didn't trust me. I thought I was his best friend. I was there... when his father died, I was there for him. Me and my dad, we... we practically lived with the Kurobas after his death, to help out. My dad became a paternal figure to Kaito and I... I cooked his meals, shared my home with him. I was there for him, but he never found it in himself to trust me with this? Trust me to understand and support him?"
Her hands were shaking and she could feel the tears running down her cheeks. Damn it, why was she crying? She shouldn't cry about this, it was stupid. It made her feel weak and frustrated. Ran approached her and wrapped her arms around Aoko, pulling her into a tight hug.
"It's okay, Aoko-chan," whispered Ran, her voice warm and comforting. "You have a right to feel the way you do and you don't... There is nothing that you ought to do. You can feel your feelings."
/break\
"Are you avoiding your thief, Kudou-kun?"
Why, of all the places to hide out at, had he chosen the one with the evil scientist? Shinichi winced as he turned toward Haibara and stepped further away from the kids, just to be sure. Even though the three of them were very busy with Agasa's quiz of the day.
"I am not avoiding my... house-guest," replied Shinichi, though he crossed his arms in a defensive manner. "Since Aoko-chan wasn't... feeling very good, I invited Ran, Sonoko, Tooyama-chan, Sera-chan for some moral support and then I figured... I wanted to give them some privacy."
"You... left your own house... so someone who isn't even living there can feel her feelings?"
Shinichi rolled his eyes at her and avoided looking at her. "I am just... Yes, I did."
That made Haibara smile in that strange, secretive manner that Shinichi had never entirely managed to figure out. Thankfully enough, Ayumi interjected and asked for his help on the quiz then so he had the chance to leave Haibara's side and join the kids and the professor who was holding a cake hostage until today's quiz was solved. He still loathed the quizzes, but he loved being a part of this. He loved carving out a spot for himself with the kids, even now as Shinichi.
/break\
Thankfully, Hakuba had understood the hint and left Kaito alone after. Apparently, he had left the mansion completely, because not long after, he could hear the girls' voices. Kaito took that as his cue to maybe not show his face – they had clearly come for Aoko. Still, his curiosity got the best of him and he listened in. Hearing Aoko cry, hearing her words, it broke his heart all over again.
"Damn it, Kaito, you screwed this all up," Kaito furrowed his eyebrows and hit the pillow with his hand. "You don't have a recording about how to unscrew lying to your best friend, do you, dad?"
He lifted his eyes and looked over at the jukebox. Shinichi had even brought that over.
"You took the first step, KID. There's nothing you can do right now."
Despite everything, a small smile pulled on Kaito's lips. "You could start calling me Kaito, you know, meitantei? It's my name, you're allowed to use it."
"I'm not very inclined to it, Kuroba-kun," Shinichi rolled his eyes as he approached the thief. "How are you holding up? I talked to Aoko-chan and I called the girls..."
"And then you went to the professor," observed Kaito. "I saw you through the window."
Shinichi offered a vague half-shrug. "This is a complicated situation. I don't... feel like I know you enough to be a comforting presence to you. And I'm very much on Aoko-chan's side on this."
"Certain sense of irony to that, considering Mouri-chan," offered Kaito with a quirk of his lips.
The half-shrug became less vague and Shinichi's eyes hardened. "I'm aware. I know that I could very easily end up in your situation. Maybe... that's what makes this even harder too, because I know... in a way... I know why you lied to her. For the same reason why I lied to Ran. To keep her safe. I understand that... but I still... I don't even know why, but I relate more to Aoko-chan in this situation and I can't help but be mad at you and I don't have a right to be mad, I know that. I'm a detective and you're a thief and I set out to arrest you from the get-go. We don't have the life-long friendship as you and Aoko-chan, I truly have no right to the same feelings and I don't think they're the same, but... I still feel them and I don't know how to stop feeling them yet. And I know that that's how Aoko-chan feels too. She hates the way she feels right now and she wants it to stop but she can't and it's frustrating and it makes you feel... helpless."
Shinichi's fingers dug tightly into his upper arms and he avoided Kaito's eyes. Great. Kaito really had managed to anger the two people he loved the most. And there was nothing he could do. He'd offered them his truth and all he could do now was wait for what they were going to do. Wait and see whether they were going to accept it. Accept him.
"Be me," requested Kaito, his voice weak. "Put that aside and be me for a second. What would you do? If this was you and Ran? What... What can I do? What would you do?"
"I would... probably be kicking soccer balls until my thigh muscles burned and I couldn't move anymore," admitted Shinichi with a heavy sigh, tilting his head back to stare up at the ceiling. "But I also know... I know for a fact that Ran would get over it. She would find me again. She would find it in herself to forgive me because... her heart is so big and filled with so much love. You have to trust that, because... I've seen the same kind of love in Aoko-chan."
"Will you ever... be where I am right now?" asked Kaito, voice barely a whisper.
"I... hope not," Shinichi turned to look at him again, a sad smile on his face. "KID is a part of you, a part of your life right now and he will continue being that. Conan is not. Conan is gone forever. There is no... reason to put her through it. The only purpose would be to absolve me and... I don't think I deserve that. And I don't think that she deserves this pain."
Kaito returned his smile, thin and not reaching his eyes, but he understood.
Author's note: THIS is an element I've never gotten to write about, because I think it's too complex and needs too much time to be brushed off in a oneshot. Aoko learning the truth and the consequences that'd follow that. I do think she would forgive him eventually, but I also know that she'd be very hurt by it and would need time
