It happened suddenly and unexpectedly.

Kuroba Kaito had no reason to run away at this point, so he just lets himself get dragged into Cafe Poirot by his classmates.

Inside however…

'Why~?!' Kaito whines as KID, his other half, just shakes his head, not offering any support at all this time.

Kuroba may have no reason to run away, but KID definitely does! It's not just because the Great Detective lives upstairs, it's…

"Welcome to Cafe Poirot!" Amuro business smiles, welcoming the guests as usual.

Kaito trembles a little at that man's presence, being reminded of their last encounter. (It was KID that dealt with him, but still!)

'Poker face. Poker face,' Kaito mutters to himself as he smiles.

'Huh?' Amuro blinks. As soon as he saw this particular customer, he felt that déjà vu feeling. Something he's only felt with Kaitou KID… so he becomes very interested and curious.

"What would you like to order?"

"A chocolate parfait please."

"Understood," Amuro nods.

As Amuro makes the parfait, he overhears the high school students call his interesting customer Kuroba.

'So that's his name…' Amuro smiles, trying to keep his predator detective instincts in check.

Feeling a gaze on him, Kaito tries to avoid unnecessary eye contact with Amuro.

'Thankfully Meitantei's busy today…' is the only solace Kaito can get at the moment.

Once Amuro serves him the chocolate parfait, it distracts Kaito enough to let him smile genuinely.

"Delicious!" Kaito smiles as he devours the whole thing by himself.

Amuro's momentarily distracted by the sight of Kuroba eating his food deliciously. 'Cute…' He smiles before taking care of the other customers.

Just as it was about time for the high school students to leave, Amuro suddenly grabs Kuroba by the wrist, "Wait…"

"Hm?" Trying to stay calm, Kaito tilts his head at him cutely in confusion.

Letting go of his wrist, Amuro just smiles as he clenches his fist, popping out a white rose as he opens his palm, and giving it to Kuroba.

"Ah…uh…thank you," Kaito politely accepts the rose before running away from there, Amuro just letting him run… for now.

Once safely at home, Kaito heavily sighs, his back sliding against the door.

'The parfait was delicious… but he's still scary!' Kaito then sees a note tied to the rose. He opens it, and it says: [Meet me XX later tonight at 9 PM. Don't be late.]

Kaito shudders just thinking of the possibilities of what this could mean. Did he find out? Is this a trap?

KID, however, comments, 'Maybe he sensed it too… that he's like us.'

'...so it wasn't just me?' Kaito asks.

KID nods.

Sighing again, Kaito prepares himself for the talk with Furuya tonight. Putting smoke bombs in his pocket, a can of sleeping gas, and his card gun just in case this is a trap.

They meet in an undisclosed hotel room on the top floor. You could look over the city from the windows. Furuya is already waiting for him there, dressed in a gray suit as he sits in a chair.

Grumbling, Kaito approaches him, dressed semi-formally before sitting down in the chair across from him, facing him.

"Kuroba Kaito-kun. Glad you could make it," Furuya smiles.

"It's not like you gave me a choice, Furuya Rei-san," Kaito half smiles, half growls at him, his brow twitching in irritation.

The mean adult just pays it no mind.

"Now now," Furuya tries to calm him, "I called you here so we can talk."

It's silent for a moment before they both ask at the same time, "Are you like me?"

Blinking at each other, they both huff, "That's a yes."

The illusions of KID, Amuro, and Bourbon appear. It was only then did they get to talking.

As soon as Kaito senses Bourbon's presence, he hides behind KID, switching immediately.

KID sighs, "Stop scaring him, Bourbon."

"Well, isn't that what you're for?" Bourbon shrugs, a smirk on his face. He's a little pleased that his very presence has that effect on the little kitten.

"Not the point…" KID huffs.

"Hm~... I'm a bit curious as to how it works between you two," Amuro asks inquisitively.

KID sighs, "...Kai can still see and hear everything. He's just not in control of the body at the moment."

"I see. So that's how it works with you two," Amuro nods, intrigued…even though it shouldn't matter to him.

"And you three? How does that work?" KID asks.

"Ah… well, I'm just a throwaway mask, albeit a long term one," Amuro sheepishly answers.

"He's mine though, not Furuya's," Bourbon claims.

"...Why me?" Kaito asks.

Furuya replies, "It's because I feel like you have the potential to become the smartest, craziest, and most dangerous person in this world. That's why."

"...I do?" Kaito and KID blink.

"You do," all three of them agree, sighing.

"Can I tell you something?"

"Hm?" they nod, curious.

KID makes an unexpected confession, "I kind of hate snipers."

"Pffftttt…" Bourbon stifles a laugh.

"All snipers or specific ones?" Amuro asks with a raised eyebrow, curious if that preference would include a certain red bastard.

"All of them all equally," Kaito says with a huff, "I've had too many experiences being shot out of the sky."

"I see…" Furuya smiles, very pleased.

Knowing that look on his other half's face, Bourbon asks with an amused smile, "… Are you plotting Akai's murder again?"

"...maybe," Furuya replies, shrugging his shoulders before asking, "...Just why are you telling us this?"

Kaito shrugs, "We're so similar that I don't feel like I have to pretend to be "normal" with you."

"...hah…" they all blink in astonishment.

"Besides, you're a dangerous man…but you're interesting and I'm curious," Kaito confesses.

Furuya raises an eyebrow, "Curiosity killed the cat."

"But satisfaction brought it back," Kaito smirks.

"…touché," Furuya smiles, "I'll admit…I'm interested in you too."

"Why are you doing all this anyway?" Kaito asks.

Furuya hums before answering, "For my own justice, of course."

"Oh, c'mon! You've thought about it before… haven't you?" Bourbon scoffs.

"About what?" Kaito curiously asks.

"Bourbon, don't you dare…!" Amuro warns.

"If Scotch, if Hiro was supposed to be a sacrifice to further Zero's, your status in the organization. All due to the higher-ups' decision," Bourbon says.

Furuya ice cold smiles, "...I would probably destroy and purge the corruption in the Police Force."

Kaito and KID shudder in fear.

"Ahhhh-! You're so scary! This is why I don't want to make you into my enemy!" Kaito yells.

"Mou...you're probably the only police officer in Japan that can actually catch me if you wanted to. You scare me but…" Kaito sighs, "In terms of skill and experience, you're also my equal, or even better than me. In order to achieve my goals, I have no choice but to trust you."

Furuya smiles, honored by such praise, "I have no problem with that."

"Why is a child like you doing this then?" Bourbon asks, genuinely curious.

"Revenge of course," KID and Kaito answer causally and automatically.

"Revenge is for the living, not the dead," Amuro sighs.

"I know…" Kaito looks at him with clear eyes, "It's for me… for the child that was abandoned. Even if it costs other people a lot."

"Don't be so hard on yourself like that… even I'm not that hard on myself, and I've done worse things than you," Furuya sighs, patting his head, "So, please, don't cry."

"I'm not crying!" Kaito yells, but yes, he did spill a few tears. Someone understanding him like this is reassuring. Something that hasn't happened in a long time.

After rubbing away his tears, Kaito sighs, "There is as much justice as there are people in this world. That's what I believe, anyway."

"Such a positive look at the world from a minor and a criminal," Bourbon huff amusedly.

"Compared to Kudo-kun?" Amuro asks.

"Meitantei is a detective who thinks like a criminal," Kaito says.

"While you're the opposite. A criminal who thinks like a detective," Furuya says.

Kaito could only blink at him, not sure whether to agree or not. KID just nods, agreeing with the assessment.

"As you can probably guess… I don't exactly care about my own life," Kaito smiles.

"And I have nothing left to lose," Furuya smiles.

"What a pair we make!" Furuya and Kaito couldn't help but laugh at each other and themselves.

"Even so…" Furuya holds Kaito's hand, "If you're about to be swallowed up by the darkness, I'll definitely grab your hand..."

"Don't…!" Kaito yells, tearing up again, "...if I end up dragging you down with me…"

Furuya smiles assuringly, "Then, we'll at least have each other. We'll be together."

Kaito turns bright red before getting up and burying his face in his chest, muttering, "...baka."

He could only smile fondly as he cradles and comforts him, sitting Kaito in his lap. He'll grab his hand and never let go. For the sake of the child that can't ask for help.

After letting the child cry, Furuya mutters in his ear, "I really want you…"

"How much?" Kaito quietly asks, his ears still red.

"Everything," Furuya answers, "Can I?"

"Depends..." Kaito smirks, looking him in the eye, "Do you want a collaborator or an accomplice?"

Furuya laughs, "Is both an option?"

"Maybe~," Kaito teases before growling, "Although, I refuse to be recruited by any organizations.

Blinking, Furuya then smirks, "You never said anything about being a personal collaborator."

Kaito grumbles, a bit embarrassed, "Well… in any case, I don't mind dancing with you."

Furuya softly smiles, "Dancing huh…"

He decides to change the subject to a rather cheerful topic.

"Do you know about the economic effect of Phantom Thief KID?"

"...Huh?'' Kaito blinks.

"Just one move by him has an economic effect of at least tens of millions. The money he moves can easily amount to 100 million yen," Furuya tells him.

"Seriously?!'' Kaito yelps in surprise.

"You really didn't realize that?''

Kaito holds his head, groaning while Furuya laughs happily.

Bourbon, Amuro, and KID just watch them. Happy that they're happy for once. For that is their purpose.

Then KID forcefully switches with Kaito, "Bourbon…"

"Hai?" Bourbon asks, wondering what KID wants with him.

"I'm warning you… Kai is very sensitive. Explosions don't trigger him, but a burning body will. So never show him that. Understand?" KID coldly smiles.

Even Bourbon shuddered a bit from the aura KID gave off, so he nodded, "Y-yeah. I got it. No burning bodies."

KID huffs, "Good," before giving Kaito control back.

Kaito sighs, "So overprotective… but thanks."

'No problem!' KID replies.

They finally make the deal to be each other's personal collaborator.

"If I stumble across info that's a Public Security matter, I'll give it to you," Kaito offers.

"And if I get info on that organization targeting you, I'll let you know," Furuya offers.

They shake on it before Furuya pulls him close, touching their foreheads together (and Kaito letting him), both of them agreeing on the phrase: "Evil for good. Evil for the sake of good."

From then on, to Furuya, his personal collaborator Kaito is a stray cat that doesn't know how to ask for help. 'Keep your poker face on. Don't show weakness. Don't let out the dark thoughts. Bury it deep inside.' That's been ingrained in him for a long time. Kaito needs to learn when it's time to let go and rest. To trust others again, even if it hurts later down the line… and Furuya is more than happy to help him.

If anyone asks what they were talking about… "We were just talking nonsense!" they reply at the same time.

"Fine! Keep your secrets!" is what most people would reply with.