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phantomechospics · 4 years

Text

Twist of Fate

Rating: Teen and Up

Fandom: Detective Conan, Magic Kaito

Relationship: Kudou Shinichi X Kuroba Kaito

Tags: Soulmate AU, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, No Smut, Black Org Takedown, Slow Burn, Happy Ending

Language: English

Word Count: 7348

Extra Notes: For my 100th follower @altumvidetur. This has also been posted on AO3, in case of formatting errors.

“Oi, KID. I found you.”

Kaito stiffened at the call of his moniker. He tried to act as natural as possible when he turned to the steely-eyed child glaring up at him. He held onto his police issue hat, as if to check his disguise was still in place, even though he knew it was. “I’m sorry little one, but I’m not sure who you’re talking to? There are no other children here and, as you can see, I am clearly an adult.”

“Yeah, yeah. And I’m the Queen of England.” The boy, Tantei-kun, gave him a very unimpressed look. “Now, either I can go tell Nakamori-keibu that one of his officers has been replaced with a wolf in sheep’s skin—or, you can hand it over.”

Kaito grimaced at the kid’s ultimatum.

Because it wasn’t a gem or stolen good the kid was asking for. It wasn’t even candy or a cup of coffee, which might also be reasonable. No, it was a small two-ounce container of KID’s special concealer mix. He used it for everything from hiding bruises and marks to blending a fake face with his natural skin tone.

And Tantei-kun had taken to accosting him every few months for a new container. If Kaito didn’t prepare the stuff by hand, he would have been out a fortune in make-up costs.

What use did the little detective have for make-up anyway? He was six, for crying out loud! How did KID end up as his black-market make-up dealer?

Kaito sighed at the thought.

No, he knew how this had happened. Or at least when it had happened.

It was the second heist with little Tantei-kun in the ring. The Suzuki Company had put out a challenge to steal the lady of the company’s jewel. KID, of course, answered the call and took the disguise of Mouri Ran in order to remain close enough to pull off the heist and still get away cleanly.

Not as cleanly as he had hoped, since the boy he now knew as Edogawa Conan, Tantei-kun, managed to corner him before he could make his escape. Instead of calling the inspector on him, though, Tantei-kun had asked him a question.

“What’s that stuff on your wrist?” the boy had asked, a field ball caught beneath his foot.

At the question, Kaito had blinked. He had been surprised the boy had even noticed the thin, dry coating that covered his Mark. After having worn it for years, Kaito had managed to blend the paste seamlessly with his skin. Like there was never a Mark to begin with.

“It’s a special concoction that can conceal any mark. It goes on like make-up and dries to the texture and flexibility of skin. It’s water-resistant and lasts for days, so long as you don’t treat it too roughly.” Kaito had held up his arm, ignoring the panicked rush that came with displaying his Marked wrist so easily.

It didn’t matter that it was concealed. It didn’t matter that it couldn’t be traced back to his civilian self. It didn’t matter that his civilian self had been ‘Markless’ for years by this point. The knowledge of what lay underneath the thin veneer of lies still caused his heart to quicken.

He dutifully kept his face blank of those fears, choosing a taunting smile instead. “I’m surprised you noticed it at all.”

“I’m observant like that,” the boy had said, gaze dark. “Where do you buy it?”

“I don’t.” KID had laughed at the unimpressed look the boy shot him. “Klepto-urges aside, I didn’t buy this. I made it. None of that commercial stuff could compare.”

The boy had given a contemplative hum, obviously deep in thought. Just as KID had secreted a flash grenade into his hand and plucked his emergency sunglasses from their hiding place, the boy had spoken. “I want some.”

KID had paused in his escape attempt. “… Heh?”

“I want some,” the boy had repeated. “Give me some, or I’ll turn you over to the Inspector.”

“… What if I don’t have any on me?” KID had asked, curious beyond measure.

“Nakamori-Keibu it is,” the kid had said and thrown back his head to call to the searching officers.

“Ah, ah, ah! Wait! Okay, okay!” KID had frantically waved his hands and pulled out a small bottle that he always kept on him. It was supposed to be for emergencies, but bargaining with a six-year-old wasn’t too far out of that territory. Plus, it meant he didn’t have to waste a light grenade. The materials to make those cost far more than the little bottle of concealer did.

The boy had looked all too pleased with the trade-off and let KID go without a complaint. Kaito had thought that would be the end of it, but oh how wrong he’d been.

Every few months since then, the boy would track him down and demand another bottle in return for letting KID escape. Now, it wasn’t to say that KID didn’t like Tantei-kun coming to his heists. He loved showing off to his little critic and making those blue eyes widen in awe at a trick the other had never seen before. It quite honestly made Kaito’s whole month, just to get the boy to smile.

But there were times, like now, where the boy was a bit too serious, saw through KID’s disguises a bit too quickly, that made KID wonder just what the boy needed the concealer for.

Though he would never get a straight answer, it never hurt to ask. “What does a kid like you even need concealer for?”

“Reasons that you don’t need to worry about.” Tantei-kun raised an eyebrow at him. “I can always go find Nakamori-keibu if you refuse.”

“I wasn’t refusing,” Kaito grumbled. “Just stalling.”

“Stalling? Really? And you’re supposed to be good at lying.” Tantei-kun scowled at him. “Now, hand it over. Ran will be looking for me soon.”

“Hold up! You didn’t answer my question.” Kaito crossed his arms with a huff. “What does a kid like you need with professional-grade concealer?”

“It’s none of your business—!”

“It is my business if you go through four bottles in a year.” Kaito frowned at him. “You know those are supposed to last twice the time, right?”

Tantei-kun glared at him. “If you don’t hand it over right now, I’ll-!”

“What? Go tell Nakamori on me?” Kaito let a grin play at his lips despite the stab of fear he felt. “Then who would you get your black-market make-up from? Your Onee-chan certainly won’t get you any, not without the same questions I’m asking.”

By the look on the kid’s face, KID knew he’d caught him. Tantei-kun tried to hold a brave mask, but seconds later, it crumbled. “Please. I need it.”

“Why?” KID repeated. “The only use you have for it is to cover up marks: ink, markers, scars, bruises…”

KID paused at that, his mind suddenly snapping to… horrible repercussions. Kaito often used the concealer to cover injuries left over from KID heists, where Taskforce officers had gotten just a little too close. It wasn’t out of the realm of possibility that Tantei-kun…

“Whatever you’re thinking, you’re wrong,” Tantei-kun hissed, immediately defensive. Which, again, could be indicative of…

“So you’re telling me that you aren’t being abused at home?” KID asked, voice suddenly toneless. “I know Mouri is a ‘great detective’, but that doesn’t mean he’s a good man. And you aren’t related to either him or your precious Onee-chan, that much I’ve gathered. It would be all too easy to—?”

“Mouri may be a drunk, but he’s a useless one.” Tantei-kun rolled his eyes, but his body was relaxed. There was no defense in his posture. He wasn’t even tense. “The worst he’s done was box my ears for running around a crime scene. Then again, he’s the only adult that seems to think a child shouldn’t be around a crime scene, so… I think that evens out.”

KID wasn’t thrilled with the answer, but he was sure Tantei-kun was smart enough to go to the authorities if someone was abusing or neglecting him. Or, at least, KID hoped so. (He made a mental note to check in, just in case.) “Then why?”

“I… can’t tell you,” Tantei-kun said through his teeth, like the answer had to be dragged from his throat.

“Then I can’t give you more,” Kaito said simply.

“KID-!”

“I’m sorry, Tantei-kun, but I’ve been an enabler for too long.” Kaito held up his hands in a ‘what can you do’ gesture. “If you want more concealer, you’re going to have to tell me what you want it for.”

Tantei-kun pursed his lips, eyes tracing Kaito’s face in a calculating manner. When it became apparent there was no way around it, he hissed a sigh through his teeth, dragged a hand through his hair, then threw his arms open wide. “Okay! I’ll tell you!”

Kaito straightened, eager to finally get an answer to the questions that had plagued him for months now.

“But not here.” Tantei-kun gave the empty hallways a look. “Too risky. You know where Agasa’s house is?”

“The scientist you and your friends hang out with?” KID thought for a moment. “Yeah, I know of him.”

“Meet me at his house. Tonight,” Tantei-kun ordered. “I’ll tell you there.”

“Got it.” KID nodded. Then he blinked when Tantei-kun held out a hand. “Ha?”

“I promised to tell you, so hand it over,” Tantei-kun clarified.

“Oh-ho no.” KID shook his head. “No way, Tantei-kun. I’m holding it ransom.”

“You think I won’t keep my promise?” Oh, the boy looked pissed at that.

“Promise? Yes.” KID poked the kid’s cheek. “Not call Nakamori-keibu in an ambush since you already got what you want? No.”

The kid clicked his tongue. “You’re sharper than I give you credit for.”

“I should be insulted by that,” KID said. “But now, I’m just disappointed in you. To think, my favorite critic would try to ambush me!”

“Just for that, I’m telling Nakamori to check all of his officers.”

Tantei-kun didn’t. But he did warn Nakamori that KID was waiting for rain in order to pull off his heist. In spite of the extra information, KID still managed to pull of his heist with more fanfare than usual, given it was a ‘reverse’ heist.

And that Tantei-kun thanked him afterwards, well, that was just icing on the cake.

* * * * *

Kaito found himself standing outside a large house, staring down at a little girl and floundering for words. “Uh… is… Conan-kun here?”

The girl stared for a long moment before looking over her shoulder. “Edogawa-kun! Your thief is here!”

Wha— how rude! Kaito had gone through the painstaking effort to disguise himself as Mouri Ran again. She could at least have the decency to treat him like the woman he was!

On second thought, how had she known…?

“I told her you were coming by,” Tantei-kun said, face pinched in a scowl. “Can you not dress like Ran when we talk? This is already hard enough as it is.”

“Hmm…” Kaito dropped a few smoke bombs and flash-changed his outfit. Hakuba Saguru posed on the doorstep, self-righteous smirk in place. “This better?”

Tantei-kun gave him an unimpressed look. “… I’ll take it. Come in.”

He and the little girl stepped to the side to allow Kaito in. Tantei-kun continued further in as the girl closed the door behind him.

“Concealer,” the girl ordered, hand out.

“…I’m sorry?” Kaito stared down at her.

“Haibara is working on recreating the formula for the concealer you have,” Tantei-kun clarified from the couch in the spacious living room. “That way I don’t have to rely on you to get more.”

“Aw, but then how else will I convince you to let me go?” KID whined. Still, he dug out the small bottle and dropped it into waiting hands.

“Something tells me you can get by without me blackmailing you.” Tantei-kun wrinkled his nose. “Or the other way around.”

“Hmm… that’s fair.” Kaito seated himself on the other couch, facing his little critic like the opponents they were. “Now, why do you need the concealer? And so much of it, at that.”

“For starters, both Haibara and I need it. Your comment of how it should last twice as long as it has been? Doesn’t pan out when you have two people using it. As for why I need it…” Tantei-kun inhaled stiffly and straightened his shoulders. “I need to hide my Mark. My Soulmark.”

Kaito blinked. Then laughed. “Hah! Right. A six-year-old with a Soulmark? Really, Tantei-kun, I thought we were being honest here.”

“We are. I am,” Tantei-kun said, voice agitated. “I’m not actually six. I’m sixteen. My Mark appeared on my tenth birthday, like all other Mark Soulmates. When I got turned into a child, it didn’t go away.”

“Right… and how, exactly did you get turned into a child?” Kaito couldn’t help the disbelief in his voice. Yes, Tantei-kun was quite smart for a child, but all physical evidence pointed to him being some sort of prodigy, not a sixteen-year-old turned six.

“I was investigating some shady dealings by men in black suits. They got the jump on me and forced me to down some experimental medicine. All their previous research said it was supposed to kill people, but a microscopic percentage…” Tantei-kun looked down at his hands. “Get turned into this.”

“So you’re saying that a magic drug de-aged you… and you expect me to believe this?” Kaito’s eyebrows rose at the absurdity.

“Edogawa-kun is not the only person it happened to,” the little girl, Haibara, said as she came to sit beside Tantei-kun. She had a rag in hand and was wiping at her own skin. Flakes of concealer came off on the rag until a black script could be seen. Mitsuhiko Tsuburaya was printed as plain as day. “I took the pill of my own accord, but it had similar results. Since then, I’ve found myself here, living as someone else.”

The words… looked real, but Kaito knew just how easily they could be fabricated. With a wave of his hand, he pulled out a handkerchief and a small bottle of his home-made solvent and dabbed a bit on the cloth. He reached forward, then paused. “May I?”

Haibara looked uneasy, but offered her arm.

“What is that?” Tantei-kun demanded as he watched on with scrutinizing eyes.

“An all-around solvent,” Kaito explained as he took a gentle hold of her wrist. “Works on most household stains: markers, pen, makeup, grease, et cetera. Strong enough to pull them off, but still gentle enough to not irritate skin.”

As he spoke, he worked at the black words, as if they were a difficult smudge. But after working diligently for several seconds, he pulled away the cloth to reveal the black lines, still as clear as day. They were no impermanent markings. So either someone had the insane notion to allow their six-year-old to get a name tattooed on their wrist, or… “It’s real.”

“Like I said.” Tantei-kun huffed.

“You’ll have to forgive me,” KID said as he threw the handkerchief up. It disappeared in mid-air as he secreted away the bottle of his solvent. “It is not every day, my favorite critic turns out to be a de-aged… how old did you say you were?”

“Sixteen,” Tantei-kun replied.

Kaito blinked. That was the same age as him.

“And I was eighteen before I was shrunk,” Haibara added, running her fingers over her wrist. “And I do say ‘shrunk’. If we were de-aged, then our Marks should have left too. As they have not…”

“Then time wasn’t re-wound.” Kaito got the gist of what she meant. “So you’re using the concealer to cover your Marks, so that people don’t know that you’ve shrunk.”

“That and to evade the organization that is behind the toxin that shrunk us.” Haibara looked down at her lap. “I was with them for many years before I managed to get away. They know me. They know what I look like. They know what Mark I have. If they were to ever find me, they would put a bullet through my skull before I ever had a chance to run.”

Kaito swallowed thickly and tried not to think about the snipers that sometimes took shots at his heists. He tried not to think of the men who had killed his father, or the impossible chase they were competing against him in. There was no way Tantei-kun’s organization and his could be related.

No way… right?

“As for me,” Tantei-kun said loudly and without caution. “I just don’t believe in Marks.”

That brought Kaito up short.

“Are you surprised?” Tantei-kun asked. Kaito wondered what had given him away. “You shouldn’t be. You of all people should know that some people don’t believe in the Marks.”

“I have my own reasons for keeping mine covered. Not the least of which being how easy it would be to track me down as a civilian if the Inspector was able to see my Mark,” Kaito explained. It was an excuse in every sense of the word. Even if the Inspector saw, it wouldn’t help. Kuroba Kaito didn’t have a Mark. He never had.

“Is that so?” Tantei-kun made a discerning noise before giving a shrug. “I just don’t want to subscribe to the idea of Nominative Determinism.”

KID frowned. He hadn’t heard of that before. “Noma… what now?”

“The idea that I’ll fall in love with someone just because their name is on my wrist.” Tantei-kun paused, then rolled his eyes. “Or, technically, it has to do with certain people being named certain things and then going on to follow a certain career path. Like a person named Hiro becoming a policeman or a person with the last name Bowser going on to lead Nintendo. But I think it applies to this situation too.”

“Please.” Haibara sighed heavily, like this was an argument they had multiple times before. “You just don’t want to believe in fate.”

“Some meta-physical entity that guides all people to a certain end despite the free-will people exert over their own lives is just a bunch of hog-wash.” Tantei-kun huffed.

“And the fact that meta-physical entity also knew that you preferred men over women just happens to be a coincidence.” Haibara pointed out.

Tantei-kun just scowled at her.

“So you aren’t planning to look for your Marked?” KID asked. “I have to say, this is the first time I’ve met someone who didn’t want to find their Soulmate.”

“I want to, I just don’t want it to be because of some ink on my skin!” Tantei-kun waved a hand around as if it would get his point across. “The names don’t even mean anything!”

“Oh?” KID cocked his head to the side. “How so?”

“Look at it this way. Say that the name on my wrist is something like… Okino Yoko,” Tantei-kun decided at random. “Who’s the first person to pop into your mind?”

“The famous celebrity,” KID answered without hesitation.

“Exactly!” Tantei-kun pointed to him. “But Okino Yoko isn’t the only one to have that name. There could be another Okino Yoko in Kyoto that lived her entire life as a shopkeeper or maybe one in Hokaido that is the CEO of a business. Either one of them could be my ‘Soulmate’ but because I recognized the celebrity first, I would become fixated on her, whether she has my name or someone else’s or no name at all. And that’s just one example!”

He threw his hands up in emphasis. “Think of how many people have the first name Hiro! Or over in America, the last name Smith! There are only so many last names and so many first names that people use. It is not entirely outside the realm of possibility that the name on your wrist could be shared by dozens of people around the world. That’s not even taking into account the people who legally change their names over the years.”

“And so, instead of trying to find the right one, you decide not to try at all?” KID couldn’t help a raised brow. “That doesn’t sound like you, Tantei-kun.”

“I’m not giving up.” Tantei-kun scowled. “I’m just not letting myself worry over it. If I like a person, I’ll ask them out. If I don’t like someone, I’m not obligated to go on a date just because they have the right name. I may have a name on my wrist, but I’m not going to let it rule my life.”

That was… a unique way of looking at things. A brave way of looking at things. Kaito… he wished his reason was just as good. In the end, though, he was just a coward.

“Which is why Haibara needs more samples of your concealer, so I can keep using it even when I put you behind bars,” Tantei-kun said decisively.

Kaito couldn’t help a laugh at that. “Well, you keep at it, Tantei-kun. I’m sure you’ll get me one of these days.”

“What makes you think I haven’t already?” Tantei-kun asked. Kaito froze. “Haibara, how long does it take for emergency services to respond to a phone call?”

“About eight minutes,” Haibara said calmly.

It had been seven minutes since Kaito walked in. Seven minutes since Tantei-kun had come to the door. Seven minutes since Kaito had handed off the newest sample of his concealer.

Alarms sounded in the distance.

* * * * *

That was a dirty trick Tantei-kun pulled, but Kaito really couldn’t blame him. Their little game of cat and mouse wouldn’t be nearly as fun without a little surprise every now and then.

Oh, he’d managed to get away, of course, but it told KID that he had to be careful not to let his guard down around the little detective, no matter how adorable the boy was.

(Should he really be thinking that? Tantei-kun was a child after all. Or technically, he was sixteen? But then, Kaito didn’t think his sixteen-year-old self would be categorized as ‘adorable’. ‘Dangerous’ maybe, or ‘sexy’ if Kaito was feeling generous. He didn’t actually know what Tantei-kun looked like grown up, but for as active as the boy was, he had to be a looker.)

Despite the latest failure, the boy didn’t let up. He still hounded KID for another bottle of concealer every few months—which KID handed over easily now that he knew the boy’s reasons. Tantei-kun still tried to turn him in every chance he got, despite the fact that Haibara had yet to recreate the formula that KID used to make the concealer. KID wondered, idly, if Haibara had stopped making progress on purpose.

A certified child genius, already holding a PhD in chemistry and biology? No way it took her more than a month or two to figure it out.

But she didn’t, so Tantei-kun kept coming back to him and the cycle repeated itself over and over again.

Until one day, there was a change.

On the Mystery Train heist, Tantei-kun tracked KID down again, but instead of demanding a bottle of concealer, he nearly begged KID for his help in saving Haibara’s life. Kaito ended up in a train car full of explosives for his troubles and had to ditch a fast-moving vehicle to hang-glide his way to safety, but he liked to think he and Tantei-kun came to and understanding.

That, and he got Tantei-kun’s phone number, so he could antagonize him all he wanted from a safe distance away.

Annoying text messages turned into random memes, then into angry phone calls and quiet murmurings in the middle of the night.

Kaito learned that the organization Tantei-kun was after had eerily similar goals to his own. They both sought immortality. They both worked under codenames and a strict set of ‘no-second-chance’ rules. They both worked for one, unknown individual that seemed to be pulling all the strings.

The similarities were too close to ignore.

“We might be after the same thing here,” Tantei-kun said, voicing the one subject neither had broached since the beginning of their strange alliance. “These organizations, they’re too similar.”

“Similar doesn’t always mean the same, Tantei-kun,” Kaito replied easily, though he couldn’t find any doubt to back it up. “Correlation doesn’t always equal causation. You, of all people, should know that.”

“Even so,” Tantei-kun’s tone shifted lower, as if suddenly worried someone would overhear. “I think we should keep each other posted. Something I find might benefit you and something you find might give me another lead.”

“So you want to, what? Work together?” Kaito couldn’t help the grin playing at his lips. “A thief and a detective?”

“We’re pooling our resources,” Tantei-kun said but without his usual bite. “Just… keep me updated, okay? I’ll keep you in the loop too.”

“Roger, Meitantei.” Kaito gave a little mock-salute, even though he knew Tantei-kun wouldn’t be able to see. “How about we make it a little competition, ne? See who can take down their organization first?”

Tantei-kun just scoffed in answer.

So they began to exchange information. Tantei-kun shared bits and pieces of his daily life as he tried to track down the people who had shrunk him. Kaito very carefully divulged the pieces he thought couldn’t be traced back to himself. Their talks moved from information to checking in to relaying silly tales about the day.

It was smooth. It was subtle. The way that Tantei-kun moved into his life. Kaito didn’t realize just how much it meant to have the other boy, the other teen, as an ally, (as a friend) until one question had him stopping cold in his tracks.

“Where did you even come up with the recipe for this concealer?” Tantei-kun wondered aloud. “Haibara swears there’s nothing like it on the market. It’s super practical—it barely comes off when I wear my watch over it! You must have gone through a lot of trial and error to get it to work right.”

And Kaito… couldn’t help the painfully true answer that slipped through his teeth. “I didn’t.”

“What?”

“I didn’t come up with it,” he repeated stiffly, mouth working on its own. “I… got the recipe from someone else.”

There was a long pause before Tantei-kun spoke. “The first Kaitou KID.”

Kaito gasped, eyes going wide. “How… How did you…?”

“It doesn’t take a genius to see that the KID from before the seven year gap was far more cautious than you. He didn’t flaunt his skills. He didn’t play to the crowd. Sure, he was a performer, but he was calm, cautious, had everything laid out to the point where he could literally walk through the police officers, pluck the gem from the display, and disappear,” Tantei-kun listed off. “You aren’t like that.”

“What?” Kaito let out a bitter laugh. “Are you saying I’m not good enough? Are you saying the first KID was better?”

It wouldn’t be a lie. And Kaito knew that all too well.

“Not at all. The first KID was talented, but he was there with a goal. He wanted the items he stole. He didn’t want to play up the crowd more than he had to,” Tantei-kun said quietly. “You… you take risks. Big risks. Scaling-the-side-of-a-building risks. But they always pay off. Your fans always come back for more and draw a larger and larger crowd. He would appear in the spotlight, but you… you live in it. There’s not really a way to compare the two of you, other than the First KID and the Second.”

Despite himself, Kaito’s eyes started to burn. His nose got a little clogged and his throat got a painful lump in it. Because Tantei-kun had just complimented him, had seen Kaito’s plights and acknowledged him and set him equal to the first KID—to his father, Kuroba Toichi.

And Tantei-kun would never lie about this.

“He was my father,” Kaito croaked before he could stop himself. “The first KID. He was my father.”

Tantei-kun didn’t say anything. The silence was an answer in and of itself.

“He was after Pandora too. Just like I am. He’s the reason I’m searching for it.” Kaito paused to take a steadying breath and blink back the tears. This pain was years old. He should be over it by now. It still hurt, especially since… “The organization… they killed him for it. They found out his identity, and killed him in front a crowd of people… in front of me. They made it look like an accident, and I believed that for years, and then—!”

“And then you found out the truth,” Tantei-kun finished when it got too hard to speak. “And decided make them pay.”

Kaito managed to make some noise of confirmation.

“While I don’t like the way you went about it, I can understand your reasoning.” Tantei-kun let out a tired sigh. “Looks like we’ve both dug our own holes, huh?”

Kaito let out a wet laugh.

“Your father… were he and your mother…?”

“Soulmates,” Kaito confirmed. “When he… when he was gone… it shattered her. It took weeks for her to get out of bed. Months to even start to get her life back in order. Even now, she can’t stay in the house for long because it’s where he lived. I could only do so much.”

“I’m sorry that happened,” Tantei-kun said. “I’m sorry you had to recover from that. I’m sorry you had to help her recover from that.”

“Sometimes… Sometimes I think…” he started, non-sequitur. He clutched the phone tighter to himself, spoke more softly as if it would keep the truth from escaping. “I think… that it would be better off if they hadn’t met. If they hadn’t fallen in love. If they hadn’t been Soulmates, because then… then she wouldn’t have been so hurt.”

Tantei-kun took a long moment to think before answering. “I think she would disagree. I think she would say that, even though there was pain, she had some of her happiest moments with him. Most every Soulmate says that. And besides, if they hadn’t fallen in love… they wouldn’t have had you.”

“And I’m someone special?” Kaito either laughed or hiccupped, he wasn’t sure. “I’m just a thief.”

“A thief who has done more daring stunts than anyone alive. A thief who has consistently remained out of law enforcement hands through sheer will and luck alone. A thief who is taking on an entire underground criminal syndicate in order to avenge his father who had left this world too early,” Tantei-kun said heatedly. “Calling you ‘just a thief’, is like calling me ‘just a detective’.”

“I guess you would know, Meitantei.” And this time, Kaito knew it was a laugh.

“I would indeed,” Tantei-kun said, matter-of-factly. Then his voice softened again. “Is that… why you hide your Mark? Is that why you don’t believe in Soulmates?”

“… I believe in them,” Kaito said quietly. He sniffled, trying to keep the nasally tone out of his voice. “I just… don’t know if I’m strong enough to be with one. Or if they are strong enough to handle having me as one. If I went out the same way as my father…”

The thought of someone else going through what his mother had… it was painful. For it to be someone he loved? Someone he wanted to be happy? Someone he only wished to see a smile from?

The thought was agonizing.

“… I won’t try to tell you how to act or how to think. If you want to avoid them, I won’t try to convince you otherwise,” Tantei-kun said. “But for what it’s worth? I think anyone would be grateful to have you. For however much time you gave them.”

And in spite of himself, Tantei-kun’s words really did make Kaito feel better.

* * * * *

After their talk, they grew closer in a way Kaito could not verbalize. They didn’t meet up more often. They didn’t call any more than they had (though it was a lot to start with). The subject of their calls did change from time to time, but not with any consistency.

It was as if they had fallen into some kind of routine that Kaito never wanted to end. A sort of comfort he never thought he’d have with another person—not after covering his Mark and promising to forget about the name he’d seen.

Kaito found he didn’t want to let that go.

“Would you ever tell them?” He found himself asking one day.

It was during one of their rare physical meet-ups, where he gave Tantei-kun some more concealer, even though Haibara had definitely solved the formula long before then. He knew it was an excuse to see the other, knew Tantei-kun saw it the same, but neither of them said a word. Neither wanted the charade to end.

“Tell who what?” Tantei-kun asked, confused by the off-topic question.

“Your…” What did people call their significant others if not Soulmates? “Lover. If you end up marrying someone who doesn’t have the same name as the one on your wrist. Will you ever tell them?”

Tantei-kun looked thoughtful as he paused to ruminate. “I think… I would give them the option. I don’t want to lie to them. A relationship built on a lie isn’t a relationship at all. But I know that… some people handle the truth worse than a lie. If they don’t want to know, then I’ll keep it hidden for as long as I can.”

“As long as you can?”

“I’m not perfect and I won’t claim to be. Accidents happen.” Tantei-kun shrugged. “Despite my best efforts, they will likely find out either way.”

Yeah… Kaito had often thought the same. He opened his mouth to agree, but what came out instead was, “I want to date you.”

Tantei-kun stared at him, wide-eyed. His gaze went from Kaito, down to his tiny hands, then back to Kaito. “Um…”

Kaito flushed red. “Not now! Not when we’ve got… everything else going on! I meant when you change back.”

“If I change back,” Tantei-kun corrected bitterly.

“When you change back,” Kaito repeated with determination. “I want to meet up and… I don’t know. Go to the movies? Hit an amusement park? Walk around the zoo? Whatever normal teens our age do when they go on dates.”

Tantei-kun snorted. “Because we’re normal teens.”

“By then, we will be,” Kaito said softly. “You’ll be back to your own age, I’ll hang up the mantle of KID for good and we’ll just be… two guys, hanging out. Not six-feet away ‘cause we are gay.”

“Bi,” Tantei-kun corrected, but he had his thinking face on. He looked tentative. “And you won’t be mad that… we aren’t Soulmates?”

Honestly, the thought kind of hurt Kaito a little, but he knew he would always end up in a situation like this. Ever since he decided to ignore the ink on his skin and search for other people’s happiness instead of his own. The fact that Tantei-kun wasn’t entirely focused on their Marks matching actually helped. Instead of telling the long-winded truth, Kaito just smiled and said, “Not at all.”

Tantei-kun’s soft, grateful grin was answer enough.

* * * * *

It wasn’t a happily ever after, after that conversation.

The organization got word of Tantei-kun. They started tailing him, even as KID tried to act as the distraction. He managed to pull some attention away, but it seemed like the roaches were crawling out of the woodwork.

Tantei-kun’s parents came in to stay, and with them a few members of the American Secret Services. A few insiders in the organization managed to maintain their cover and leak information as they could, but it was obvious they could only do so much.

The game had been set. The clock was ticking forward, carrying them on toward the finally fight as the momentum picked up.

It came to a head in a fiery show-down of chaos and death.

Both sides lost people. Gin and Snake and a number of other agents were gunned down or chose to turn their guns on themselves. Very few were taken into custody. Vermouth was lost to the carnage, unable to free herself of the shadows that had claimed her.

The leader of the ring, Karasuma Renya, was caught, but whether the police would be able to press charges remained to be seen. He had been skillful at keeping his hands clean as his henchmen killed hundreds of people in their wake.

Kaito made it out with multiple sprains and contusions and one (very painful) gunshot wound. But his luck had held up and he managed to survive to see another day. With a full pardon, something he hadn’t been expecting until a piece of paper was shoved into his hands by a very stoic Nakamori.

(He was grateful he had the foresight to give himself a long-term disguise and for Tantei-kun admitting him to the hospital under the name Kaitou KID. He didn’t want to see Nakamori’s face when he realized Kaito had been behind the monocle. Hopefully, he never would.)

As for Tantei-kun… well, he had never left the safety of their home-base.

Oh, he had whined and carried on and bargained with every person that went through the door, but none had let him step foot out of the safe house until the fighting was over. For good reason, too. Though he may be sixteen in mind, taking a six-year-old into battle was just asking for bad things to happen.

He did make one hell of a Chess Master though, as he kept in touch over the headsets everyone was obligated to wear. As he called shots left and right in a deadly calm voice, Kaito was reminded, once again, just how spectacular his favorite critic was.

So Tantei-kun was safe, Kaito was recovering and Haibara was reverse-engineering the toxin that had set off the chain of events that led them to where they were today. Now, it was only a matter of resting and healing from the Day of Reckoning.

That, and meeting Tantei-kun for real, face-to-face.

Kaito still remembered Tantei-kun’s promise back before the worst was over. After having survived what could only be described as the single most idiotic decision of his life, Kaito wanted to cash in on that promise.

When he was finally released from the hospital, he decided he would do just that.

Standing on the curb just outside the front doors, Kaito fidgeted as he waited for his ride. Tantei-kun was supposed to pick him up, but the area was clear, not another car in sight. That didn’t spell good things for his nerves.

Not wanting to lose his confidence, Kaito dialed a well-known number and held his phone up to his ear. It rang twice before an unfamiliar voice answered. “To your left.”

Startled, Kaito looked to his left, only to see…

The most beautiful man he had ever met in his life. Or maybe handsome was a better word? He was impeccably dressed, white button-up ironed straight and navy blue suit jacket just reaching his wrists. His blue eyes sparkled right above a wide, familiar smile as he lowered the phone and hung it up.

He was so different and yet so familiar. It could only be—!

“Tantei-kun?” Kaito whispered, scared he was wrong.

“Technically, my name is Kudou Shinichi, but yes, I am—was the little detective that followed you around.” Tantei-kun rolled his eyes and offered a hand. “It’s nice to meet you, for real this time.”

“The pleasure is all mine,” Kaito said, grasping the other’s hand firmly. He didn’t want to let go.

Then the rest of the words caught up with him.

Kaito blinked, taken aback. “Wait, what did you say your name was?”

“Kudou Shinichi?” Tantei—Kudou Shinichi frowned at him, concerned. “Why?”

Kaito hurriedly dropped their hands so he could drag his sleeve up. It took his three tries as his hands shook and he didn’t want to take his eyes off of Shinichi in order to pay attention to what he was doing.

Shinichi watched him with trepidation as Kaito rubbed off the concealer he’d covered his skin with for the last seven years. It had been days since he’d last applied it, so it rubbed off as easily as the temporary glue he used to hold on his masks.

When most of it had been scrubbed off, he held his wrist out to a now wide-eyed Kudou Shinichi who stared down at it with something akin to horror.

“No. No way.” Shinichi shook his head, then reached forward. He turned his gaze this way and that, like it would change the words if he looked at it the right way. But no, Kudou Shinichi remained scrawled across Kaito’s skin in the deepest of blacks. “That’s not—! That’s not possible! You couldn’t have known!”

“I didn’t,” Kaito said, a little slack-jawed. “I didn’t know who you were until today.”

“But that can’t—!” Shinichi abruptly cut himself off. His sharp gaze came up, trapping Kaito in its magnetic hold. “What’s your name?”

“Kuroba Kaito,” he answered, a little breathless. Because it couldn’t be. It couldn’t just work like that. Fate couldn’t be that spot-on… right?

“But that’s—! But I—!” Shinichi dropped his arm to turn around and yell at the sky. “No!” then he turned to Kaito. “No!”

Kaito wilted at the vehemence with which the word was spat. “No?”

“No, I mean, not ‘no’ to you!” Shinichi hurriedly tried to correct himself. “’Yes’ to you, but ‘no’ to Fate because that can’t—! This cannot be happening! This is bullshit!”

Kaito frowned and reached out to grab Shinichi’s flailing hands. His action was surprising enough to give the detective pause, a hesitation Kaito took advantage of as he checked his right wrist, then his left. It was when Kaito let go one and started to take off Shinichi’s watch that the detective realized what he was doing. “No, Kaito, wait—!”

Kuroba Kaito stared back at him, a little dusty from the remains of the concealer the watch had rubbed away.

“We’re Soulmates,” Kaito breathed as Shinichi yanked his hand free. He looked up, still reeling from the shock. “We’ve known each other for at least a year and we were Soulmates!”

“Things cannot work out this well!” Shinichi continued on with his rant. “The probability of having matching Marks in a world full of ‘Kuroba Kaito’s and ‘Kudou Shinichi’s is so infinitesimally small that—!”

“You didn’t know my name until two minutes ago,” Kaito said as he caught the other by the waist. Shinichi leaned away from him with obvious disapproval, but didn’t try to escape his hold. Kaito just rested his chin on the other’s shoulder. “You can’t claim Nominative Determinism when you didn’t even know who I was.”

“I knew who you were,” Shinichi grumbled, but slid his arms under Kaito’s and hooked his fingers into the back of his jacket. “I knew you were annoying and over-dramatic and… kind and smart and selfless to a fault...”

“Careful! I’ll think you’re complimenting me.” Kaito laughed.

“And egotistical,” Shinichi finished, just to be contrary. “I knew you. I just didn’t have the name to go with it.”

Kaito hummed in agreement. “Best name ever, huh?”

Shinichi let out a sigh, but answered. “Wouldn’t change it for the world.”

And for once, Kaito agreed.

“… I still don’t believe in Fate.”

“Shinichi, by this point, I don’t think you can argue against it.”

“No! Fate isn’t real! Just like Luck and Magic! It’s just a bunch of made up things to make people feel better about themselves!”

“A certain girl in my class would have something to say against you.”

“What was that?”

“I was asking if you wanted to go to the zoo? After all, you did promise me a date, didn’t you?”

A content sigh. “Yeah, I suppose I did.”

It was the best date in history, in Kaito's humble opinion. As well as every date after that.

#dcmk #dcmk fic #fanfic #kaishin #Kuroba Kaito #kudou shinichi #ai haibara #soulmate au #soulmate alternate universe #angst #fluff #hurt/comfort #shinichi x kaito

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stillebesat · 3 years

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Dog Days

DECEMBER DRABBLES DAY 13 Detective Conan / Magic Kaito: Kuroba Kaito/KID, Edogawa Conan, (also present Mouri Kogoro, Mouri Ran, The Detective Boys) Blurb: If he was being truthful with himself, Kaito hadn’t expected to ever get caught by the police, let alone placed in a cell that he couldn’t get out of. Overall Fic Warnings: Prison/Captivity

If he was being truthful with himself, Kaito hadn’t expected to ever get caught by the police, let alone placed in a cell that he couldn’t get out of.

But that was exactly what had happened. The police had grabbed hold of him while he was disoriented, his movements less than his usual grace. And despite how much he’d wiggled and struggled, he hadn’t been able to escape before they’d shoved him into the back of the police van.

One dizzying drive later, and he’d been manhandled into his current predicament. A four foot by six foot chain link covered cell, with a concrete floor and padlock on the door. A padlock that he should have been able to pick within two seconds. But couldn’t.

Kaito paced his tiny cell space, listening to the cacophony of his fellow cellmates. Cellmates that would only get louder whenever the wardens wandered in and out of their cell block and only quieted down when the lights went out overhead and the people left for the evening.

Kaito groaned, throwing himself onto the concrete floor, sprawling out on his side. No, he’d never expected to get caught. Never expected to be stuck in this stupid place for two weeks without being able to escape! He rolled to his belly, resting his head between his paws, his tail tapping in irritation.

Of course he’d never expected to be changed into a dog either. How could anyone ever plan for that?

Well, he probably should have since he knew a self-proclaimed witch. But seriously a dog? He pushed to his feet again to circle the tiny space once more. If any good to honest spell was doing its proper job, he would have been a cat! At least cats were more useful in their four-leggedness. More suited to his liking of heights and doing the impossible. They also had handy claws. He was sure he could have picked the padlock easily if he’d only had cat claws instead of dog paws that were about as dexterous as a wooden spoon.

His ears flicked as his fellow doggy cellmates started up another round of barking and howling. Great. Another visitor come to look for a new potential family pet more than likely. It wasn’t time yet for the workers to come do their closing tasks. And after two weeks of being here, he knew their schedule like none other. He growled, moving to the back of the cage so he wouldn’t be as noticeable as the others and sat, his back to the door.

After his first handful of experiences of being taken out for prospective owners to see him closer, he had no desire to leave the cage. He’d already tried all the escape routes those opportunities had offered.

Even if he could get the stupid rope that they placed around his neck off, the doors all had rounded door knobs, preventing him from getting out. He would need Lady Luck to work some serious magic for him to escape this place. A frayed rope that breaks, doors that happen to be open, clumsy workers who failed to catch him, a potential adopter opening the door to the outside at just the right moment so he could finally leave this place….

Kaito exhaled, his ears drooping as he laid down, his tail curling around his back legs. And then what? He escaped and then what? It wasn’t like he could go home like this, and his hopes for waking up human again were fading as time wore on.

He’d need to figure out how exactly he’d become a dog in the first place because irritatingly enough, he couldn’t remember a single thing from the day of his change.

The day before he’d been in school, had spent the evening with Jii planning for a heist the next day. A heist he must have gone to as KID. A heist where something happened. A heist where he, the famous Phantom Thief KID must have still pulled off since the Task Force were the ones to find him and put him in the pound.

Kaito pushed again to his feet, snapping his teeth at his tail as it lashed back and forth. He’d been staggering, disoriented when the Task Force had found him. That much he could remember. Why couldn’t he remember anything beyond that? Had it been the gem? Had it been Akako and her demon magic?

Kaito went back to pacing his cell. He couldn’t recall upsetting her recently, nor her giving any of her cryptic warnings when there was actual danger. So it couldn’t have been her. The gem? Something else? Why couldn’t he remember the day at all?!

He was distracted by the sudden yells of children coming from the entrance way. Kaito flinched and darted to the back of the cage. As a magician he loved entertaining children. Their expressions of wonder when he performed magic were one of the highlights of his day.

But as a dog?

They were evil little demon terrors. Pulling at his tail, his ears, squeezing him so hard he couldn’t breathe, trying to use him as a seat, or a pillow? No. No. NO. He didn’t like it. He refused to leave the cage if it was a child involved in a possible adoption. He’d growl and bare his teeth if any child with their parents showed interest.

He never snapped at them though, never tried to bite them. After all. He was KID and KID had a no one gets hurt policy. But that didn’t mean he would let the tiny terrors walk all over him.

“Oooo!!!!” A girl cried out from further down the line of cages. Kaito’s ears flattened against his head. With his new hearing, her scream of adoration was nearly as bad as a dog whistle. “It’s so noisy!” complained a boy.

“This one is pretty!” the girl continued. “Ran-onesan! You should get this one!” “No! No! Look at this one! You should get this one!” Exclaimed another boy.

“There’s so many! How are you ever going to choose?” The girl asked.

“We should get them all!” The first boy stated.

Kaito snorted. Get them all? That was a child for you. Hearts as big as the ocean. He settled down in the back of the cage. If he stayed still, hopefully they wouldn’t notice him when they walked past.

“We’re not getting them all,” grouched an older man.

Kaito frowned, lifting his head. That voice...he knew that voice. How did he know that voice?

“We just need one for a case! A case I tell you!” He continued.

“Otosan” Another familiar female voice responded. Kaito’s ears perked up and he stood on all fours.

Wait.

Hadn’t the little girl said ‘Ran-onesan’ earlier? His heart leapt. No. It couldn’t be. Could it? He darted to the front of his cage as a very, VERY familiar voice spoke up.

“Ojisan, how do you expect to train a dog to help you solve cases?” Kaito’s favorite little Critic asked.

Kaito lifted up onto his hind legs, placing his front paws on the cage. Yes. YES! Tantei-kun was here. His tail wagged frantically. Tantei-kun. Tantei-kun. Maybe Lady Luck still was on his side. He dropped down, spinning in circles. Conan had come to get a dog.

Well, the old man had come to get a dog, but Tantei-kun was here, and if they got a dog, if they got HIM, then he could be free! He could get his favorite Critic to help him figure out why he was a dog in the first place. He just needed to….Kaito returned to the door, jumping up and down as he barked as energetically as his doggy cellmates. Tantei-kun could help him. He could help him. He just needed to get the shrunken detective’s attention!

Which was going to be rather hard when his Critic wasn’t even looking at the dogs. He had his hands behind his head, clearly bored out of his mind as his elementary friends moved from cage to cage. Clearly, Tantei-kun wasn’t into getting a pet.

Kaito dropped back to all fours, spinning in circles. Think. Think. Think Kaito! How could he get the detective’s attention? What could he do to convince him to take Kaito home? He turned back to the door, tail wagging frantically. “K-U-D-O!” He barked in morse code. “K-U-D-O. K-U-D-O! K-U-D-O!” Come on, come on. He placed his paws on the chain link. “K-U-D-O!” Please. Notice him!

He dropped to all fours wagging his tail, tilting his head, trying to look as adorable as possible as the children stopped at his cage. He whined, tail thumping the concrete.

“Stay away from that cage, children.” The head warden of the doggy cells called out. “He doesn’t like children.”

Kaito stiffened, as the children quickly backed away. No! NO! He jumped at the gate, whining frantically. “K-U-D-O! S-O-S!!” He barked out. His heart dropped to the pit of his stomach as the group quickly moved further down the rows.

The shrunken detective hadn’t even glanced his way. He probably hadn’t even heard the coded barking with all his cellmates yapping like crazy too. His voice had been drowned out. And with his refusal to let children near, he’d just royally screwed himself from even being considered by them. Agh! Why did Lady Luck have to be so fickle? Giving him a ray of hope only to snatch it away.

He slumped to the ground, head lowered, not caring that he was whining pathetically.

“Hey boy.”

Kaito jerked his head up, to see Conan crouched at his cage, his blue eyes sharp and piercing.

The shrunken detective glanced down the row of cages before focusing back on him. “Did you call me?” He asked in a low whisper.

Kaito nodded frantically, crawling closer to nose at the boy’s fingers.

Conan inhaled sharply. “You understand me?”

Kaito wagged his tail, giving a soft wuff as he nodded again. He half growled half woofed out “K-U-D-O” as quietly as he could, meeting his Critic’s eyes.

“How?”

“Oi! Brat!”

Conan tsked and straightened as the old man called from the other end of the room.

“We don’t have all day. Come on!”

Kaito whined, moving to his feet.

“Shh.” Tantei-kun said, raising a calming hand. His sharp eyes held Kaito’s before he turned. “Ojisan! I want this one!” He cried out, his voice rising into it’s childish pitch. “Please! Please! Please!” He bounced on his toes, pointing to him. “I like this one!” He dropped his tone. “You better know tricks.” He muttered. “The old man needs a trained dog for his idiotic plan.”

Kaito snorted, prancing in place as he gave a grin to his Critic that he hoped was somewhat similar to his usual KID grin. Did he know tricks? If only Tantei-kun knew who he was dealing with, that statement would never have been uttered in the first place.

#Dog Days #December Drabbles #Detective Conan #Magic Kaito #DCMK #Kuroba Kaito #Edogawa Conan #KID #Dog!Kaito #December Drabbles Day 13

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detectiveran · 4 years

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Ran had never questioned her royalty. She was a born princess and now, the queen of her kingdom. With her steadfast adviser in Kudou Shinichi, she had managed to impress the royal court and charm the public. She also had somehow managed to convince the stuck up ministers to allow her to be a queen without a king. It was an uphill battle she had started to fight once she turned eighteen and marriage proposals started to flood in.

Ran had always been beautiful but the suitors made a grave mistake of thinking that she would be docile and meek. For she was not. Ran was opinionated, stood up for her beliefs and was not what princes would look for in a submissive wife. She refused to be a trophy for a man to parade her around, her worth reduced to being someone’s bed warmer and nothing else, not when she knew that she could do better.

She would always be grateful to Shinichi for teaching her how to widen her horizons. Since she was young, people wold lament how the Mouri family only had a daughter and no sons to be the successor of the throne. Her father turning to gamble and other women for comfort and her mother turning into a socialite.

Ran knew it was her fault why her family was this way. If she had been born as a boy, her parents would have loved her. But well what was done was done, she couldn’t cry over her genetic make up. What she could do was strive to be the best. To soak up knowledge and learn what other princes did so that they could become good kings one day.

But the ministers would shove her in floral arrangement classes and etiquette classes and what not instead of teaching her about the social make up of the kingdom. Needless to say, a ten year old Ran was frustrated and since, people tended to avoid her in the castle until and unless they were forcing into useless classes, so she escaped. She wanted to know her kingdom. And people did say first hand experience was always better.

And so, in her first moment of rebellion, she escaped. She knew how commoners lived though. She had heard maids talk about costs and labour and knew that people exchanged coins for the goods they provided. The thing was she never had to use her own coins and everything was given to her. That was her first lesson. She learnt how sheltered and privileged she was. Even if people in the castle despised her, they did things for her because she was born with royal blood. Societal hierarchies became even clearer to her. That was her second lesson.

Her third lesson came in the form of a young boy whom she befriended after a day full of squabbles and fights. He irked her at first. He was so full of joy and knowledge that it immediately incensed her. He embodied what she was lacking. Shinichi, though, was a sweetheart. He would happily guide her through the capital, commenting on whatever he would find interesting and slowly, Ran started to thaw. This boy was genuine, unlike others she was used to. His comments weren’t laced with hidden malice. He gave her his opinions without any hidden agenda, even if those comments were a critique. He didn’t fear people the way she did.

And so she made a proposal. Shinichi had already mentioned that he was an orphan and the kitchen ladies would often scream how they lacked assistance. Shinichi agreed, happy to have a permanent roof over his head. They sneaked back in to the castle with no one knowing that Ran even had left. When Shinichi questioned why no one was looking for her, Ran had answered, “Nobody looks for me until it’s time for lessons,” and then she smiled giddily at him, happy knowing that her time with her new best friend was not going to be interrupted.

Shinichi, on the other hand, came to realize how true Ran’s statement was. With each day passing at the castle, he just grew sadder for her. Ran really didn’t have anyone on her side who cared for her. He had seen the king ignore her very existence and the queen only criticize her for her posture and dresses and stupid, useless stuff. He was furious how they were treating her and how Ran didn’t seem to mind it.

So he decided to bite back at anyone who dared to bring Ran down. Ran was a good person and those people were rare, he had experienced it first hand while he lived in the orphanage. There was no way he was going to stand back and let people chip away Ran’s confidence and self worth. He did get punished for speaking back but in the grand scheme of things, it didn’t matter at all. Shinichi also had the added benefit of leaving the palace whenever he wanted to. So, he and Ran would run away together to mingle in with the townspeople. He became Ran’s protector, best friend and teacher. And he didn’t regret a single bit of it.

It would be presumptuous to say this but he was proud of Ran. At the age of seventeen, she had turned into a beautiful young woman, filled with worldly knowledge and charisma. A woman of her convictions who could break bones and yet be elegant. She could become a great leader for their kingdom, at least a far better one than the Drunkard, as he had coined the king. So, when Ran hesitantly approached him with another one of her proposal, he said yes. As he always did when it came to her.

Yes, he would help her become the kingdom’s queen.

This started because @detectivegeekshin read loyalty as royalty.

#dcmk #detective conan #ran mouri #ran mori #shinichi kudou #shinichi kudo #shinran #my writing #i wonder what you think of it #because it can have a continuation #i can already see it

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pupa-cinema · 4 years

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ゲスの極み乙女。(Gesu no Kiwami Otome) - 秘めない私(Can't Hide Myself) - Lyrics English Translation

ランちゃんバンバン cute 苦労人人人 Ran-chan BANG BANG, a cute, seasoned veteran ran ran 名探偵の嫁と同じ名前 With the same name as the wife of a legendary detective パララッパラッパッパ主役にしちゃ Pa lala pah laa papa! Make ‘em the lead role パララッパラッパッパ弱過ぎるけど They’re too weak for it but whatevs

クオリティ重視のアニメーション An animation that heavily focuses on quality 私の顔面じゃ荷が重過ぎルンルン But their workload becomes too heavy when they’re dealing with this face of mine, hum hum 漫画でもアニメでも役に立たない My face wouldn’t cut it for even mangas or animes or anything だから変わった人になってみるの That’s why, I’m gonna try to be a whole different person

ウーパールーパールーパー映像みたいな奇抜さが欲しい Wooper-looper looper footage.. that’s the sorta grand ideas I wanna devise グーパーグーパーグーグーパー Rock, paper, rock, paper, rock, rock, paper あなたはチョキグーチョキグーチョキチョキグー (やだ) You play scissors, rock, scissors, rock, scissors, scissors, rock (Oh no)

秘めない秘めない喉仏が刺さる I can’t hide it, I can’t hide it, my Adam’s apple is sticking right out 苦しいけど身長差が嬉しいの It’s kinda annoying but.. I am glad we’re so different in height 噛みたい噛みたいキスより猟奇的 I want to bite you, I want to bite you. More wild than a kiss

間違いない恋がしたいなら他を当たってちょうだい If you’re interested in love with no strings attached then go find someone else, would ya 私は強気よ弱気はあなたよ I’m the strong - You’re the weak

ランちゃんバンバン cute 苦労人人人 Ran-chan BANG BANG, a cute, seasoned veteran ran ran 名探偵の嫁と同じ名前 With the same name as the wife of a legendary detective

ラジオネーム「ランタンタン麺」恋のお悩みを辛口相談 Radio ID: ‘Ran-tan Tan-men’, all about letting people come to talk then criticizing their love problems 理論武装をしながら背中はガラ空きなんだって They have a slew of arguments to defend themselves, yet their back is wiiide open まあそんなもん Yeah that’s just how it goes

ウーパールーパールーパー映像みたいな奇抜さが欲しい A wooper-looper Looper film.. that’s the sorta grand ideas I wanna devise グーパーグーパーグーグーパー Rock, paper, rock, paper, rock, rock, paper あなたはチョキグーチョキグーチョキチョキグー You play scissors, rock, scissors, rock, scissors, scissors, rock

Win win night, win win night 恋をしたならダンシング If you’re in love, then join in on the dancing サイバーな雰囲気の映像美とね The beauty of film displayed in this cyber ambience 攻めたい攻めたいキックボクシング練習 I want to dominate you, I want to dominate you, it’s kickboxing practice

 届かない夜ならいらない I’ve no need for a night that doesn’t go anywhere テンション高めでやや安定な私じゃつまんない High-spirited yet simply vanilla stuff is boring to me

 秘めない秘めない喉仏が刺さる I can’t hide it, I can’t hide it, my Adam’s apple is sticking right out おかしいおかしいと思われるくらいがちょうどいい Weird, weird to other people, that’s the level I’m looking for ハヤブサの様な恋は猛マッハで猟奇的 Love like a falcon, at fierce Mach speed, wild   間違いない恋がしたいなら他を当たってちょうだい If you’re interested in love with no strings attached then go find someone else, would ya 私は強気よ弱気はあなたよ I’m the strong - You’re the weak

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Footnotes:

● Ran-chan ~ With the same name as the wife of a legendary detective. Reference to Ran Mouri from Detective Conan, the heroin whose skills are overshadowed by the main and other characters.

● Wooper-looper: a nickname for the Axolotl. They’re very cute and wild looking so they fit perfect!

● Looper may refer to the movie Looper (2012). As it's sci-fi/cyber… Or maybe to the ‘looper’ effect in music, as the singing involves loops.

#Gesu no Kiwami Otome

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lisatelramor · 4 years

Text

Seeing Double

AN: So I was glancing at the old DCMK kinkmeme on LJ for funsies and this happened. From the prompt: so saguru has twin kink from quite some time, imaging kaito and shinichi (and himself too) in some not proper situations. but because he's british gentleman, he won't admit that. well, he's lucky, because objects of his imaginations are too much observant and... not only saguru has kinks, right?

Merry Christmas early I guess?

o*O*o

He’s reluctant to call it a kink. A kink implies that it applies to more than one scenario, and for Saguru, he’s only ever found himself hot and bothered by certain individuals in his acquaintance. He’s tried, a few times, looking at media depicting twins, but honestly he gets nothing from it. But then Saguru generally isn’t into pornography at all, people at all, unless there is something else about them that he can appreciate beyond a pleasing aesthetic.

It’s just that since meeting Kudo Shinichi, it’s been on his mind. A lot.

The attraction to Kuroba was one thing. A thrilling battle of wits, the constant one-upping, the excitement of chasing down Kid knowing that he would be met at every turn with a challenge. He’s always found competence an attractive trait, and finding a mental equal was just another weight to the scale that tipped him toward attraction. Kuroba having a pleasing face and body were certainly other things to seal that particular crush, but he hadn’t expected to fall for Kudo.

Kudo Shinichi, elusive and mysterious detective of the East. Japan’s modern day Sherlock Holmes. The frequent comparisons in the media to Holmes honestly would have drawn his attention, but when Saguru got to Japan, Kudo was nowhere in sight. ‘On a case’ as everyone seemed to agree. Saguru had hoped to meet him when he was invited to Detective Koushein, but all that he’d found there was a child who knew Kudo and an annoying Osakan detective who apparently considered Kudo one of his best friends. (Hattori Heiji did turn out to be Kudo’s friend, but, well, Saguru supposed he couldn’t fault Kudo for befriending him. There truly weren’t many people their age who could think on the same level at a crime scene as they could. He refused to admit that he was a bit jealous that Hattori had managed to befriend Kudo first.)

Saguru had eventually met Kudo properly rather than just hearing rumors about him about a year ago.

That, Saguru knows, was his swift decline into a personal state of depravity.

What had somehow escaped Saguru’s knowledge in all the time he’d known of Kudo’s existence, was that he was almost identical to Kuroba Kaito right down to the abnormal blue of his eyes. They weren’t actually identical. Kudo had a slightly more square jaw, finer hair that allowed itself to be tamed, more reserved smiles and body language. Kuroba had a wilder smile and rounder cheeks, hair that refused to submit to a comb and was forever fidgeting with anything he could get his hands on like he’d vibrate in place if he couldn’t find an outlet for his energy. But for all those differences, they could have been brothers. Could have been identical twins with a bit of makeup and hair gel, and had brilliant minds to match.

Saguru wants to say that it’s not a thing, but it kind of is. It kind of most definitely is and he’s sure that if Kudo or Kuroba ever found out that he has a crush on them both, and more specifically the concept of them both together, he’d never live it down.

The only good thing is that Kudo and Kuroba, occasional Kid heist aside, have never met. So Saguru can have his guilty pleasure picturing them together without ever actually having that bleed into reality.

He’s worked so hard on keeping his interactions with them both perfectly platonic and friendly—well, sort of friendly in Kuroba’s case—so at least he has that one blessing for this entire issue.

Until he suddenly doesn’t.

o*O*o

Kaito lets Aoko drag him to meet her new friend because a) it is his duty as her best friend to give every new person a once over and make sure they weren’t some kind of creep, and b) because he still owes her so many friend points for hiding Kid for literal years. All the friend points. Of course he also goes along because she’s his best friend and he enjoys spending time with her, but her new friend is a girl, so he’s a little worried he’d end up being the odd one out.

Naturally he invites Hakuba to avoid that. Worst come to worse he figures he can alleviate boredom by poking Hakuba if Aoko and her friend turn to girl talk. (Don’t get him wrong, he’s fine having girl talk sometimes, but he prefers to leave it to Aoko since she’s not going to look at him weird for talking about makeup choices these days).

He isn’t expecting Aoko’s new friend to be Mouri Ran or for Mouri to have brought Kudo Shinichi along for the ride.

He kind of should have been paying more attention. Then he’d have realized who she was planning to meet in the first place. Ran wasn’t the most common name.

Kaito meets Kudo’s eyes as Aoko cheerfully introduces everyone and he knows that Kudo puts two and two together in a handful of seconds. There’s this split second surprise followed by that ‘aha, I know it’s you, Kid’ face he always gets when Kaito is in disguise, only he’s not in disguise right now. Such is his luck, Kaito supposes. He can’t win a gamble when he doesn’t even know it’s going to happen.

He pastes a smile on his face. “A pleasure to meet you both,” Kaito says, bring out a flower for Mouri and, because that has Kudo’s lips twitching down like the over protective person he is, a flower for Kudo too.

Kudo takes it with a look of bemusement.

“And you know Hakuba,” Kaito says, turning to his other biggest arrest threat, “since you’re both people who chase Kid.”

Only Hakuba has a very strange expression on his face and is staring at the flower Kaito gave Kudo a bit too intensely.

“It’s good to see you,” Kudo says, and Hakuba pulls himself out of…whatever is going on in his head.

“It’s been a while, Kudo-san.”

“Wow,” Mouri says looking between Kaito and Kudo, “they really do look like each other. When Aoko-chan said her friend was your doppelganger I thought she was exaggerating.”

“See!” Aoko says. “That’s why I was so surprised by that photo!”

Kaito decides, what the hell, and plays into it, walking up to Kudo and makes a show of sizing him up. “I dunno, I think I’m the better looking clone here.”

“Excuse me?” Kudo says.

Kaito grins and leans close to poke the furrow in between Kudo’s eyebrows. “Y’see? You look too serious. A dashing smile would make you look better.”

“If by dashing, you mean manic, then yes, you fit the bill,” Kudo says, pushing Kaito’s hand away.

Hakuba makes an odd coughing sound and they both glance his direction. He’s looking away, face a bit pink. Weird. And a bit suspicious.

Kudo takes a step away from Kaito and Hakuba’s shoulders relax minutely. Hmm. Kaito glances at Kudo, but he’s already directing his attention back toward the girls. So Kaito drops back a step to walk shoulder to shoulder with Hakuba instead as Mouri and Aoko start exchanging stories about their university classes and probably stuff about their best friends being dumb boys or something; Kaito’s paraphrasing, and they do have a lot in common on that end he guesses. Again, he’s not going to take offense. Aoko has earned any irritation she has toward him, and at the end of the day he knows for sure that she loves him a lot more than she hates him or he’d have been arrested ages ago. Kudo looks content to listen as a third wheel to that conversation. Kaito’s already starting to get bored.

“So,” Kaito says conversationally to Hakuba. “You know Kudo very well?”

Hakuba glances at him sidelong. “About as well as you do by this point I imagine.”

“Harsh. I’ll have you know today’s the first we’ve met.”

Hakuba raises an eyebrow.

“…You’re never getting that verbal confession.”

“A man can hope. Besides, considering Kudo’s penchant for finding you at the heists we’ve both attended, I’m sure he already knows.”

“And Mouri-chan doesn’t,” Kaito says keeping his voice light so the girls won’t look over. “Buuuut, I guess I do know Kudo decently by this point huh? He’s a worse critic than you are. But he’s got better flair and showmanship.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You,” Kaito says with mock solemnity, “can be a stick in the mud.” Kaito jerks a thumb in his direction. “He’s serious but also an adrenaline junky.”

“Is he now.” There’s something speculative about how Hakuba glances at Kudo’s back.

Kaito smiles slowly. “Something we have in common. You know, besides our face.” He pretends to be pensive. “I could totally pretend to be him.”

“I believe I’ve read accounts where you have. Along with all those times wearing my face.”

Kaito shrugs. “I mean if you can get away with not using a mask…”

“Kudo’s going to start having more invasive pat downs at heists if you keep wearing his face.”

Kaito grins. “Hmm, are you going to be the one to search him?”

Hakuba sputters, going red and Kaito cackles as Hakuba swats at the back of his head. It’s an easy dodge.

“I don’t even want to know,” Aoko says as Kaito dodges around her. He catches Hakuba flicking a nervous glance at Kudo before scowling over at Kaito. “Kaito quit being a nuisance.”

“But that’s what I do best,” Kaito says fluttering his lashes at her.

Aoko rolls her eyes indulgently and Mouri giggles. Kudo watches like the detective he is, probably slotting away different behavioral cues and comparing them to Kid’s. Kudo’s such a critic.

Kaito drops back to walk next to him instead, still grinning, feeling Hakuba’s eyes on him more intense than even his usual intensity. Yeah, something is definitely up there, and it totally involves Kudo. Maybe a crush on Kudo considering how red he turned. Usually he’d just brush that sort of comment off as Kaito being inappropriate.

Kaito amuses himself the rest of the way to the shopping mall by flitting between people and baiting the detectives for all he’s worth. There’s just something that gets his heart pounding about seeing two logic and law-driven people get more and more emotional.

He gets Kudo to blush once too and it’s a nice little victory.

Hakuba’s not meeting Kaito’s eye by the time they start shopping. So maybe what’s going on involves Kaito too.

Well. He has at least an hour to figure that out for sure. Kaito smiles to himself. If he saw the smile currently on his face, he’d know that it was very closes to Kid’s at his most enthusiastic.

o*O*o

Shinichi has the uncomfortable feeling of being watched. Considering he’s currently at home in his parents’ library, it’s more than a little disconcerting. Shinichi casually reaches for the improved stun-watch Agasa made for him since he’s returned to himself. It’s not paranoia when you’re an internationally famous detective that took down a crime syndicate before you turned twenty. The prickle between his shoulder blades reaches a higher level for a moment before there’s a soft laugh from the upper corner window space.

“Relax, Kudo, it’s just me.” Kid drops smoothly to the floor like he hadn’t been two floors above the ground. Or should Shinichi say Kuroba, because Kid isn’t dressed as Kid at the moment.

Shinichi lets go of the watch. “What are you doing here?” He doesn’t ask how Kuroba got in; he likely wouldn’t get a straight answer anyway.

“I wanted to talk,” Kuroba says. “One on one since we’ve finally met face to face properly.”

Shinichi rolls his eyes. “I’m surprised you weren’t worried I’d blow your cover. Considering you were there with Hakuba and the daughter of the head of Kid’s capture division.”

“Oh that wouldn’t have been a problem. They’re both in the know.” Kuroba grins. “Seeing you come clean was actually really motivating. Consider me grateful for prompting me to take the plunge and show a bit of trust.”

“Is this you showing trust as well?”

“Maybe.” Kuroba sits next to Shinichi with a grin that is all Kid. “Maybe you already had it.”

“I still try to catch you at heists,” Shinichi points out, setting his book aside.

“So does Hakuba. He’s still a friend.” Kuroba’s nose wrinkles slightly, like he never thought he’d be so on the nose about it. “Actually it’s Hakuba I’m here to talk about.”

“Hakuba.”

Kuroba leans casually into Shinichi’s personal space in a deliberate sprawl along the couch. “A-yup.”

Shinichi could move. It’s not like there isn’t more couch to escape to, or even to a different seat, but it’s Kid, and honestly he’s pretty used to him being both dramatic and lacking any sense of personal anything. He’s been picked up and carried by Kid so many times as Conan and tackled at least a couple times by Kid as Shinichi, not to mention the whole shopping trip recently, so he’s pretty much removed Kid’s proximity as a discomfort by this point. Also, he’s warm and Shinichi’s a little chilly so he’s not going to complain.

“What about Hakuba?” Shinichi asks finally as Kuroba keeps smiling.

“Did you notice how odd he was acting?”

“During the shopping trip?”

“Unless there’s another time you’ve seen him since then, yes, the shopping trip.”

Had Hakuba been acting strange? Shinichi hums. He’d kept looking between Kuroba and Shinichi, which was a bit strange since he had to have known how similar they looked by this point. He’d known both of them for ages. Then there was the way he kept getting flustered… Although maybe that could be explained away by Kuroba’s blunt teasing. “Well, he was more relaxed and emotive than usual.”

“And?”

“And he was a bit fixated on our similarities, I think. I can’t see any other explanation for why he kept looking between the two of us like that.”

“Good, you did notice it then. I already double checked with Aoko, but I was kind of wondering what you thought about it.” Kuroba’s eyes gleam expectantly and Shinichi has no idea what Kuroba wants from him in this exercise.

“The similarities make him uncomfortable?” Shinichi hazards. Hakuba hadn’t been able to look at them directly when they were side by side for very long. Honestly in the same position, Shinichi would have been categorizing all the minute differences and finding it all more interesting than the similarities, but he isn’t Hakuba. Who knew what was going on there.

Kuroba gives him a disappointed look. “You really missed it?”

“Missed what?” Shinichi huffs. “If you mean his crush on you, that’s blatantly obvious. He was blushing every time you even got close to an innuendo and got nervous whenever you were too close to him. Although I’d think he would be better at hiding it if he’s known you so long.”

“How are you this observant and also not at all,” Kuroba sighs.

“Oi.”

Kuroba waves his indignation away. “One, Hakuba’s usually great at hiding what he’s feeling. He’s got his ‘I am a gentleman, but also brilliant and I know it’ front going on most of the time. I’m sure you’ve seen it. I mean, he acts his age with me, don’t get me wrong, we bicker a lot when it’s just the two of us and Aoko. So anomaly number one is that he wasn’t even pretending to put up his usual front.”

“And the other anomalies? I’m sure you know him better than I do if you went to school with him.”

Kuroba smirks, and it’s actually a pretty similar expression to Hakuba’s when he’s found a game-changing clue. Shinichi wonders if it’s something he’s acquired from spending so long around Hakuba. Kuroba holds up two fingers. “Anomaly number two: very little eye contact. Hakuba’s usually pretty good about not being in your face about Western ways, but he’s always been really direct about eye contact with people he has a sense of rivalry with. Me, for example. And possibly you?”

“Not too much?” Shinichi hasn’t really given it much thought.

“Either way, real trouble looking me in the eye that day. Either a guilty conscience or an embarrassed one is my bet.” Kuroba holds up a third finger. “Three, he was more put together when interacting with us individually, but much less so when we were side by side. Meaning the change in behavior is because we were both there.”

“You don’t think part of it has to do with you being Kid, do you?”

“Honestly? Not at all, which is a first. Usually everything goes back to Kid.”

“But he has to have seen us side by side at least once at heists.”

“But,” Kuroba points out, “heists are a totally different mindset and scenario, and I’m usually not wearing my own face.”

“Kuroba,” Shinichi says, nudging him in the ribs. “Just get to the point.”

“My point, dear detective,” Kuroba says with obnoxious emphasis, “is that seeing us together like that got a flustered reaction. Which, as you so helpfully pointed out, is a sign of interest.”

Shinichi raises an eyebrow.

Kuroba rolls his eyes. “Hakuba’s got a twin kink for us, Kudo.”

He chokes. “He what?!”

Kuroba smiles like he won a prize, laughing at Shinichi’s expense. “Twin kink. You noticed his interest in me, but you totally failed to notice he did the exact same things when it came to you. He’s into both of us.”

“What?”

“Seriously.”

Shinichi smacks him on the shoulder. “Shut up, I’m not used to men being attracted to me.”

Kuroba blinks slowly. “Are you kidding me, because I can think of three men off the top of my head, myself included, who’ve found you hot.”

“What?!” Shinichi flails. Kuroba does absolutely nothing to stop him from falling off the couch, grinning at his mortification.

“All those times I’ve flirted,” Kid—because he’s definitely wearing Kid’s grin right now—says, “and you’ve never noticed.”

“That was banter!”

“Banter with flirtatious intent is still flirting.” Kid leans down. “Hint. I’m flirting right now.”

Shinichi pushes him away, face on fire.

“Aww, is that a rejection then?”

“I! You!” He’s beyond sentences at the moment.

“Pity. Cuz I was going to suggest we team up and blow Hakuba’s mind.” Kuroba settles back on the couch like he hasn’t just caused Shinichi’s brain to do a record scratch. “I think that would be the thing to finally break him. I would love to see that expression.”

There’s Kid’s ridiculous, childish, vindictive glee in the giggle that comes from Kuroba’s throat. A giggle and a grin thrown Shinichi’s way inviting him to join in with it all. To joke. To… to what, flirt back?

“Do you even like Hakuba like that?” Shinichi asks, baffled. “Or me?”

“Kudo,” Kuroba says, slouching. “Kudo. I’m friends with both of you. I’m attracted to both of you. I’d be up with having fun with both of you. Now anything more than that would depend on how any of you feel.” He winks. “But trust me, interest isn’t a problem.”

Shinichi’s blush was starting to die but it flares up again under the intensity of that sincerity. Shinichi fumbles for words. “I don’t. I’ve mostly only liked Ran that way.”

“Mm, I kind of figured. You don’t react much to other people.”

It’s not a failing, Shinichi tells himself. He just. He’s not attracted to many people. He has to like them personally or they’re just another pretty face among a crowd of others, just a body like any other, and no more interesting for it. Ran was different because she was Ran, his best friend and confidante for years before anything like hormones happened. But even if he does still like her that way, it hadn’t worked out. Trust is hard to rebuild after it’s broken and he’s glad enough to have her friendship remain as strong as ever even if the romance has mostly died.

Ran’s a woman, and he’s always thought of her if he lets his mind go down routes of physical intimacies. And Kuroba is a man. A man that Shinichi knows pretty well, despite most of the time knowing him being knowledge entirely about his alter ego. Kid is a man who is playful and spiteful and creative as hell. He thinks around things instead of in patterns and loves to surprise people—in all ways. He’s, at his core, a good and caring person with a strong moral compass, criminal activities aside, and Shinichi’s come to respect him even if they can’t always agree on things. He’s someone Shinichi can trust with his life—has trusted with his life—and knowing Kuroba now, seeing the playful and cheerful side of him that gave off wonder and joy instead of Kid’s mystique, he can’t help liking him more.

They’re friends by this point. Even Shinichi can admit that.

More than that…? “You look too much like me,” Shinichi mumbles, red-faced.

“Not interested in your own face?” Kuroba jokes. “Hmm, now I feel narcissistic saying I’m into you.”

“You are a narcissist.”

“Ow,” Kuroba says, reeling back dramatically. “So cruel.”

“But.” Shinichi bites his lip, taking in the long, lean line of Kid’s body stretched along the couch. A gymnast’s body. He’s always liked athletic builds aesthetically. It’s… not actually a turn off to consider the male form the same way. He’s just never had reason to think to do so before Kuroba pointing it out. “But your face isn’t what makes you you.”

Kuroba blinks before a fond, genuine smile unfolds across his face. “Are you saying you like me for my brain, detective?”

Shinichi flushes harder. “What do you think?”

“I think you’re cute,” Kuroba says like it’s no trouble at all to put his feelings out there. He props himself up and leans over. “Can I kiss you?”

“I’m not running away, am I?” Shinichi shoots back and Kuroba grins, keeps grinning right into pressing their lips together.

It’s just lips, no different than any other pair, but they’re Kid’s lips and they steal his breath just as much as kissing Ran had.

Shinichi licks his lips as Kuroba pulls away, like he can chase the taste of him.

“Hmm,” Kuroba says. “Yeah, that’s pretty nice.”

It’s more than just pretty nice, but like hell is Shinichi going to stroke his ego.

Kuroba dips in again. And again. Shinichi loses count of how many kisses they exchange or how they end up on the library floor, curled into each other and short of breath, heat caught between them. He just knows that at some point Kuroba laughs, eyes sparkling with lust and happiness and says, “This wasn’t even what I came here for.”

“And what was?” Shinichi says, mind ages away from their earlier conversation.

“Hakuba,” Kuroba says, kissing Shinichi’s jaw.

“Oh.” Right. Hakuba. His mind almost gets lost again in the pleasant feeling of Kuroba’s teeth nibbling beneath his ear. “Twin kink?” he says, dragging up the last thing he remembers from that line of thought.

“Twin kink,” Kuroba confirms. “What sort of expression do you think he’d make if he saw us now?”

It’s weird to think of another person while being intimate with someone, but the idea seems to turn on Kuroba, which really shouldn’t be surprising. Of course Kid would have an exhibitionist streak. Shinichi humors him though. Hakuba, watching from the couch. Hands clenched in his lap, not touching because they haven’t said he can yet, just hungry hazel eyes devouring the picture of them tangled together in front of him…

Shinichi shivers. It’s not a bad mental image at all.

Kuroba nips a little harder, drawing his attention back to him. “It would be fun,” he says, “wouldn’t it?”

“You just want a threesome,” Shinichi accuses breathlessly.

Kuroba laughs. “I mean, sure? But c’mon, detective, it’s a rush having both your attention at a heist. I can only imagine how it’d be in bed.”

Mmng. Ok, Kuroba wins whatever it is he’s trying to do here. Shinichi’s considering it. He’s considering it very seriously. From the slowly growing grin on Kuroba’s face, he definitely knows he’s won Shinichi over.

“You have to get Hakuba to agree.”

“Kudo, we both show up dressed as each other and Hakuba will throw himself at us.”

“I’m not role playing you.”

“Eh, you couldn’t act me well enough anyway.”

That’s a challenge and he scowls at Kuroba for it because Kuroba knows exactly what he’s doing, damn it. He just grins and grins unrepentantly. “I hate you,” Shinichi grumbles.

“You really don’t,” Kuroba says. He pulls him in for another kiss that Shinichi pretends to be annoyed about. Kuroba whispers in Shinichi’s ear. “If we’re going to seduce a man, we’d better get a bit of practice.”

Shinichi groans.

He doesn’t get back to reading his book that night.

o*O*o

It’s been a long day between university classes in the morning and working on an ongoing case in the afternoon and evening. Saguru had barely managed to fit in dinner between running around interviewing witnesses and he’s rather looking forward to a hot bath and some pleasure reading before bed.

He steps into his room, shedding his suit-jacket out of habit before he’s even fully in the room, only to turn and find two people lounging on his bed.

Saguru freezes.

It’s Kuroba and Kudo—or Kid and Kudo?—sitting comfortably with their backs propped against his headboard, watching him with identical smiles on their faces. Like he’s about to trip one of Kuroba’s pranks or Kudo is going to put forward the vital piece of evidence to pull a whole case together. At first glance, he can’t tell for sure who is who, though considering that one of them is wearing Kid’s white suit it should be obvious. But a second longer stare has him sure that it’s actually Kudo wearing the suit. Saguru swallows, his suit jacket slipping through his fingers.

“I expect breaking and entering from Kid, but I’m surprised you went along,” he says, keeping his voice level through strength of will alone.

Confirming his guess, the man in Kid’s suit shrugs. “He’s really convincing when he wants to be.”

Kuroba snickers, his hair tamed into Kudo’s smoother hair style and looking terribly comfortable in one of Kudo’s sweaters. “Like you don’t have a rebellious streak. You’re totally morally gray when you want to be.”

“Generally not for selfish reasons.”

“Well this is entirely selfish.”

Kudo snorts. “Yeah, I guess it is.”

“What’s going on?” Saguru asks hoarsely.

Kuroba and Kudo look at him at the same time. “We had a thought,” Kuroba says.

“And we decided to test it out,” Kudo continues.

“For example…” Kuroba leans even closer to Kudo than he was before. “How many of your fantasies is this hitting?”

Saguru flushes then pales. “You, that is I. Kuroba.”

“Relax, if we were going to be weirded out by it, we wouldn’t be here dressed like this,” Kudo says. He’s not trying to tease Saguru at all, just letting Kuroba do whatever he wants. Kuroba is definitely teasing, a smirk on the edge of his lips as he places a kiss underneath Kudo’s eye, just below the monocle. Kudo does tilt his head so Kuroba can access more skin though. It’s terribly distracting.

“We put together the clues,” Kuroba says, eyes half-lidded. “Twin kink isn’t one I’d have thought you had, Hakuba.”

“I don’t!” Saguru sputters. Both Kudo and Kuroba give him identical disbelieving looks and it doesn’t help his attraction at all. “It’s not like that. It’s just.” He doesn’t even know why their mirrored images make him feel so flustered, just that they do, and it’s only because they’re them that he’s attracted at all. “I’m not attracted to anyone that looks the same other than the two of you.” His face burns. “I.” He feels horribly vulnerable. “I find you both attractive on your own in the first place. For different reasons.”

Both of their eyes soften. “Aww,” Kuroba says. “You like us.”

“I thought that was a given,” Saguru murmurs.

“We like you too,” Kuroba says, all but draped along Kudo by now. “You don’t think I’d arrange this kind of show for just anyone do you?”

“That depends, is this an invitation or is this just…confirmation and potentially something to hold over me for the rest of our friendship?” Saguru asks, only half joking. He doesn’t think Kuroba would be that cruel, but he occasionally has a sadistic streak in his humor and Saguru can’t let himself be any more vulnerable than he already is until he’s sure that this isn’t another joke.

Kuroba and Kudo exchange a glance. “We’re serious,” Kudo says, speaking because he probably knows that Saguru will trust his word a bit more than Kuroba’s. He holds out a hand and Kuroba mirrors it. “Join us?”

“Oh.” Saguru shivers. This doesn’t feel quite real.

His feet carry him to the bed like his body isn’t under his own power and he reaches back. Two hands clasp his and pull him in, two lithe bodies bracketing his. Saguru stares at them with disbelief and wonder before Kuroba takes the initiative to lean in to kiss him. He smells a bit like hair product and Kudo’s aftershave. He kisses like an invitation, light and teasing and lingering like he’s daring Saguru to kiss back, to chase and take more than light presses of skin together. If it’s an invitation, Saguru takes it, letting himself drown in the feeling of Kuroba’s lips after years of trying not to think about them or the muscles Kuroba hides under doubled shirt layers.

It’s better than he imagined it being.

Then Kudo is there, tugging him around with a palm on his cheek. He smells like Kuroba’s cologne and if Kuroba’s teasing, Kudo is sincere, straightforward. He doesn’t hesitate to kiss Saguru deeply with a startling intensity Saguru hadn’t expected. He should have expected it. When Kudo thinks something is worth doing, he doesn’t hesitate to follow through. Saguru’s eyes flutter shut with the kiss and Kuroba at his back, Kuroba’s hand in his hair, Kudo’s at his hip. He’s not sure where his own hands are just that he’s holding on for dear life because he hasn’t been this aroused in his entire life. It’s overwhelming.

“Is that convincing enough that we mean it?” Kudo says against his lips.

Saguru whimpers, beyond words.

Kudo huffs a soft laugh against his mouth and kisses him again. Kuroba kisses the back of his neck. One of them has a hand inching up under his shirt. It’s probably Kuroba because he hadn’t even noticed him untuck it. He shivers at rough fingertips against sensitive skin. Definitely Kuroba. Kuroba pressed against his back, his leg slipped between Saguru’s own. Kudo pressed against his front, hand on his face to control the angle of their kisses. Saguru has one hand on his chest it turns out. He isn’t as muscular as Kuroba there, but Kudo’s thighs.

Saguru groans.

“Did we break him?” Shinichi asks as Saguru has to press his forehead against his shoulder before he loses himself completely.

“Hmm, maybe a little bit.” Kuroba pulls his hand from under Saguru’s shirt to rub at his side a bit less intimately. “You okay, Hakuba?”

“Mm.”

“No words?”

“Words are hard,” Saguru says. “I don’t know what I’m doing.”

Kuroba laughs. “You don’t have to. This is really just about doing what feels good.”

Kudo brushes Saguru’s bangs back from his face and it’s too gentle and platonic for the situation. “If this is too much too fast, we don’t actually have to do more than this. Kaito just wanted to surprise you and see how you would react tonight, but this isn’t a one-time offer.”

“Oh. That’s…” He hadn’t expected that.

Kuroba tugs on his hair lightly and Saguru looks at him. “What part of ‘we like you’ didn’t make it clear that this wasn’t just a fling?”

Saguru huffs. “Pardon me if my brain isn’t up to my usual standards. I wasn’t expecting either of you to be interested at all, let alone together. I… have spent a long time trying not to think about this sort of situation because it didn’t seem possible.”

“Because we didn’t formally know each other?” Kudo asks.

“Because you both have shown preferences for women,” Saguru points out. “And I wasn’t sure how you’d react to Kuroba.”

“My relationship with him’s not too different than it is with you,” Kuroba says. “Only less antagonistic and more random showing up with his face because I can.”

“How isn’t that antagonism?” Kudo asks, exasperated.

“I’m not pranking you,” Kuroba points out. “And you proved you had gray morals way before Hakuba did, with a flare of showmanship that made you a bit less of a critic.”

Kudo snorts. They’re relaxed around each other, like they’ve been interacting for years, and Saguru wonders how much Kudo has interacted with Kid outside of what is publicly known. He’s clearly closer to Kuroba than Saguru first thought. “He’s kind of a brat and annoying but he’s not too bad when it comes down to it,” Kudo says.

“Wow, high praise,” Kuroba says, deadpan. He curls around Saguru’s back, warm and comfortable.

It’s nice. Being here between them is nice and for all that it’s arousing, it’s soothing too. It’s been a long time since he’s been held so intimately and it’s even better with two pairs of arms. It would be hard to disentangle himself if he needed to, but he doesn’t want to.

“Why is Kudo wearing Kid’s suit anyway?” Saguru asks after a moment.

“I hoped you’d need a moment to figure who was who,” Kuroba admits. “I would have had him pretend to be me, but he’s kinda bad at acting.”

“I’m not that bad.”

“Prove it,” Kuroba says.

Kudo reaches past Saguru to catch Kuroba’s chin. He tilts his head and grins like Kid. “Who can’t act, Detective?” he says with a purr in his voice. It’s actually a pretty good impression of Kid being flirtatious.

Kuroba chuckles at Saguru’s back. “Nice try, Kid,” he says with that slight shift in voice to match Kudo’s voice perfectly, because of course Kuroba can pull it off perfectly. “I’m not that easy.”

Kudo snorts. “Aren’t you though?” he says, breaking character.

“You or me?” Kuroba asks.

Kudo shrugs. “You? You’re the one that proposed all of this.”

“You said yes.”

“I can count on one hand the people I’d say yes to.”

“Same,” Kuroba says.

“How about none of us are easy,” Saguru cuts in, “we just have specific taste and are willing to pursue it if the person we like is receptive?”

“Fair enough.” Kuroba snuggles close and Kudo rests his chin on Saguru’s head. It’s all terribly cozy and domestic. It’s a complete turnaround for a short while ago, but Saguru finds he’s kind of glad that they’re not diving into sex all at once. He likes this better even if Kuroba and Kudo did show up looking like one of his deepest fantasies come to life.

“Can you both stay the night?” Saguru asks, not wanting to move at all.

“That was kind of the plan,” Kuroba says against his neck.

“If it’s not assuming too much,” Kudo adds.

Saguru grips Kid’s white coat and Kuroba’s hand where it rests on his hip. “No, I’d like you to stay.”

“Then we’ll stay,” Kudo says.

“And maybe have some fun in the morning,” Kuroba adds with a teasing lilt to his voice.

Kudo smacks Kuroba lightly, on wherever he can reach. From Kuroba’s hitch of breath, it was probably his ass. “Nothing he’s not comfortable with.”

“I’ll consider it in the morning,” Saguru says, heart beating a bit too fast all over again. He certainly wouldn’t mind things going that route. Tonight is just… a little much after such a long day and the shock of finding them here at all.

“Good enough,” Kuroba says. He reaches over Saguru to tug at one of Kudo’s pockets, pulling out Kid’s iconic card gun. He shoots without looking and the lights go dark. “Go to sleep, Hakuba. We’re not going anywhere.”

Saguru squeezes his hand and closes his eyes. “Thank you.”

“Anytime,” Kudo says, kissing his head and Kuroba’s lips on the back of his neck. He should feel trapped, but instead he feels cradled, held with affection, and safe. Saguru drifts to sleep with a smile on his face.

o*O*o

Saguru wakes to a blue-eyed face watching him with a lazy smile and the feeling of hands rubbing gently along his back and sides. …Too many hands for the person in front of him, and his memory of the night before snaps back to the forefront of his mind as he recognizes Kuroba.

“Morning,” Kuroba says.

“…Good morning.” If Kuroba is in front of him, it must be Kudo behind him, hand tracing a lazy pattern against Saguru’s thigh.

Kuroba kisses him, and he doesn’t even mind the stale morning breath.

“It’s definitely good,” Kudo says against the back of his neck. There’s the tickly of fine hair as Kudo kisses the knob of his spine at the base of his neck.

Saguru is very awake and very aroused. Kuroba can tell because he chuckles and presses his whole front to Saguru’s, matching hardness brushing against each other’s hips. Kuroba’s a bit further along than Saguru, but then he has been awake for an unknown amount of time longer.

“Have any opinion about that morning sex?” Kuroba asks against his lips.

“Please,” Saguru says and feels Kuroba’s smile turn into a predatory grin. Kudo presses close against his back and he’s as interested as Kuroba in the proceedings. Saguru doesn’t resist as hands tug at his clothing, undoing buttons and working their way along bare skin. Touch is followed by lips and tongue and teeth. It’s easy to get lost in, to surrender completely to this. In some of his fantasies, he’s the one who calls the shots but Saguru can’t say he hasn’t thought of it this way too. Thought of letting two strong willed people slowly pick him apart until he can’t string two thoughts together and can only attempt to press as much of the experience as possible into his memory.

By the time he’s lost his clothing and Kudo and Kuroba have removed most of theirs, Saguru’s a mess. There has never been someone he’s wanted as much as he wants the both of them, and they are well aware of the power they hold over him with their matching faces alone.

Kudo and Kuroba lay between his legs, looking up at him like he’s something between prey and prize and he can’t even contest that since he feels like it. He wants them to devour him. He wants them to treat him like something precious and touch them the same way. Unable to gather the brain power to do anything other than watch and hold on to the bed beneath him, he can’t look away as Kudo and Kuroba go down on him as one, like they’ve practiced this though he knows they haven’t.

Two mouths on his cock, almost kissing around it, and blue eyes looking up, teasing, taunting. He shudders and moans and is desperately relieved that his father isn’t in the house at the moment or this could be very embarrassing very fast.

They work their way up to the tip, then Kudo works back down, Kuroba fitting his lips around the head and sinking down with agonizingly perfect suction.

“God.” Saguru wants to tip his head back and just revel in the feeling, but at the same time, he might just die if he looks away.

“Not quite,” Kudo quips, “but if you keep stroking his ego he’ll think he is.”

Saguru laughs, startled but not at all displeased as Kudo grins back and Kuroba smacks ineffectually at Kudo’s shoulder with the hand not holding Saguru’s erection steady.

Yes, they’re both absurdly sexy at the moment, but they’re still themselves and Saguru feels terrily fond of them in that moment, breathless with the emotion as well as with the way Kuroba seems determined to get him to climax as quickly as possible.

“Ah. I’m going to—if you keep doing that with your to—oh, fuck.” Kuroba continues mercilessly and Kudo just grins and moves up Saguru’s body to occupy his mouth with sloppy, devouring kisses.

Saguru surrenders. They have him exactly where they want him and he’s just going to die happy there. He grounds one hand on Kudo’s back and the other on Kuroba’s shoulder—not head, he doesn’t want to control this, he’s trying so hard to not move and if he grabs his head, that will go out the window—and moans into Kudo’s mouth.

It takes three more bobs of Kuroba’s head and the brush of his cock against the back of Kuroba’s throat for him to come, body wrenching with the force of it as both men hold him down and he can do nothing but gasp and groan as Kuroba works him into oversensitivity.

Saguru pushes at his shoulder frantically. “Enough, please, for all that is holy!”

Kuroba snickers, nose pressed to Saguru’s thigh. “Everything you dreamed about?”

“Fuck,” Saguru says eloquently.

“Next time,” Kudo promises.

Saguru groans. “You’re trying to kill me aren’t you?”

“Nah, if we were trying to kill you we’d fuck each other while you watch, then tease you mercilessly,” Kuroba says, propping his arms on Saguru’s stomach. He’s still hard, they both are, and Saguru should do something about that. Just as soon as his body starts responding to his brain again.

“God,” he repeats.

“We broke him again,” Kudo says.

“Is that you saying you don’t want to exchange hand jobs?” Kuroba asks.

“Hell no, get over here.”

Saguru watches them shift just far enough away to no longer be on top of him and reach out to touch each other like they already know each other’s bodies intimately. Well, considering how smoothly this all went down, there’s a high likelihood they do know each other intimately though when this first happened is something he hasn’t the foggiest about.

There’s something perverse in enjoying the picture they make, mirror images, all flushed and panting and needy kisses pressed back and forth between bodies. If Saguru hadn’t just come, he’d probably come again just watching the way Kuroba matches Kudo’s pace as they jerk each other off, fast and needy.

It isn’t a perfect mirror though, and Kudo tips over the edge first, curling into Kuroba’s body as cum spurts over Kuroba’s knuckles. He doesn’t lose grip in Kuroba though and it’s only a few jerks more of Kuroba’s hips before he’s spilling too, silent compared to Kudo’s low moan.

God, now Saguru knows what they both look like when they come. He’s never going to be able to erase this from his mind, nor would he ever want to.

Kuroba flops back, boneless, like a particularly happy cat. “Mm, that was fun.”

Kudo wrinkles his nose at the mess and goes to grab tissues from Saguru’s side table.

“You back to the land of the living yet?” Kuroba asks Saguru, lifting his head just enough to crane his neck in Saguru’s direction.

“Mmn.” Saguru blinks heavily and accepts the tissue Kudo offers to clean any mess on himself that Kuroba didn’t manage to swallow. “More or less.”

Kuroba laughs, content. “That was great and we should all totally do this again sometime.”

“Sometime,” Kudo allows, “but only if it’s not going to interfere with work. I can’t drop everything all the time just because you want me to.”

“Would I do that?” Kuroba asks.

Kudo and Saguru exchange a long suffering look of people who have had Kuroba insert himself at Kuroba’s capricious whims into their lives on the regular. “Yes,” they say together.

Kuroba sticks his tongue out at then both. “Rude. I definitely check before I interrupt people.”

“Stalker,” Kudo says, but it’s fond, and Kuroba preens a little almost like he takes it as a compliment. It has to be the shared history of Kid’s madness at work there.

“I need a shower,” Saguru says after a long pause. It’s a comfortable pause, but one of them has to move first.

“Is your shower large enough to share?” Kudo asks, only half joking.

“Yes,” Kuroba answers for him.

“Only if we’re actually getting clean though. Regrettably, I have things I need to do today.” Saguru kind of wishes they could just stay like this longer though. Kuroba’s hair tickles against his ankle and Kudo’s hip is warm against his knee and he’d be entirely content to curl up with them and sleep for another hour, but he already slept in.

Kuroba’s the one to actually move first, stretching like the way human bodies are meant to fit together is optional. “C’mon,” he says holding hands to Kudo and Saguru. “Shower time.”

Saguru takes his hand. Kuroba gives him a bright grin.

“So, I’m taking you guys on a date sometime soon.” Kuroba squeezes their hands.

“Are you now?” Kudo asks with fond amusement.

“Yup. You saw me naked, so dates are happening.”

“How backwards. And ‘dates’ plural?”

“There’s two of you, so I should get at least two dates.”

Kudo snorts. Saguru feels something warm settle in his chest.

He can’t remember why he was so scared to consider this when it’s all he could ever hope for.

“So long as none of those dates are heists, you have a deal,” Saguru says.

“How about a scavenger hunt?”

“Acceptable.”

Saguru lets Kuroba drag him to the shower, hand in hand, and stops thinking about what a risk it could be and lets himself hope for what this could become.

*******

Basically:

Hakuba: I like attractive men who can mentally stimulate and challenge me.

Kaito: If you’re a friend and fall into range of what I find attractive, I’d be down to mess around at least once. Gotta romance me if you want more than that ;) Bonus points if you don’t put up with my bullshit ;) ;)

Shinichi: Look, I have a very narrow list of what makes a person attractive and you’re either on it or you’re not, and if you’re on it, we’re already friends. Also, you’re probably physically fit. (Holy shit, I’m attracted to Heiji too I didn’t even realize--)

#detective conan #magic kaito #saguru/shinichi/kaito #fanfiction #my writing

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fgodestinyawakenings · 5 years

Text

FGO OC Servant: Mouri Ranmaru

I’m basically hoping after there’s the appearance of Akechi Mitsuhide in GudaGuda3 event…

DW, where’s my Mouri Ranmaru?! The important page/servant of Oda Nobunaga! >.>

Not tagging to the main FGO tag since it’s more of side musings… And complaints and ideas… DW, I WANT MY MOURI RANMARU IN FGO PLEASE

EVEN IF IT HAD TO BE 2* OR 3* SERVANT!! What’s written beneath the cut is… Definitely overpowered or totally screwed up. I’ve done OCs… But this is definitely my first going further with Fate side since I’m mostly basing all on the limited information of Ranmaru. Hence the stats and skillset are weirdest in terms of gameplay

Lastly, this is an overdue for one of my readers in AO3 in FGO Destiny Awakenings. I wanted to show I did have one OC Servant in mind, but... This took a damn long time to finish in terms of writing for gameplay OTL

Mouri Ranmaru (Saber)

Japanese Name: 森蘭丸 AKA: Mori Naritoshi (森成利), Mori Nagasada (森長定) Alignments: Lawful・Neutral Gender: Female

Traits: Female, Humanoid, Servant, Weak to Enuma Elish, Riding

Active Skills

Renowned Beauty Charm and lowered all enemies defense (1 turn)

Keen Observation Increase critical star rate Gain critical stars Increase critical damage

Loyalty to the Demon King Increase party’s attack for 3 turns Increases own mental debuff resistance for 3 turns

Passive Skills

Magic Resistance B Increases own debuff resistance by 17.5%.

Riding A Increases own Quick performance by 10%

Noble Phantasm

The Last Stand of Honno-Ji Ran no moeru yūki Sacrifice self. [Demerit] Grants party Invincibility for 1 turn.

Overcharge Effect Deals damage to all enemies. Deals burn status to enemies for 3 turns

Stats

Strength: B Endurance: B Agility: A Mana: C Luck: B NP: B++

Bond Level

The fragrance of Oda’s beloved Orchid When equipped on Ranmaru, Grants party increase in NP strength when she is defeated

Character Info:

The third daughter of Mouri Yoshinari, the head of the Mori family. She’s well-known of her talents, loyalty and unusual beauty, and was appointed to be Oda Nobunaga’s personal page.

Like Nobunaga, for some reason Ranmaru is manifested as a female. Instead being known as ‘a man with looks of a woman’, here she’s summoned as ‘a beautiful woman with looks of a man’. The loyal young page chosen specifically by Nobunaga herself after following her father around Oda’s castle. Some even heard Nobunaga herself declaring “I want her!” upon first meeting.

The young page who followed Oda Nobunaga whole-heartedly to her death, where she helped to set fire to the temple. Once preventing no enemies could take her beloved lady’s head, she joined her in death via seppuku.

Bond Level 1:

Height & Weight: 160cm & 50kg Series: Fan's Order Source: Historical Fact Region: Japan Alignment: Lawful・Neutral Gender: Female

Bond Level 2:

A humble and loyal page, with a naive and selfless heart thinking her lady first before everything. Her renowned loyalty is well-known of her willing to sacrifice her life and morals for Nobunaga’s ambition. Her well-rounded talent and beauty gained many admirers and envy in her time.

Among all in Oda clan, only Ranmaru is able to keep up with Nobunaga’s crazy antics and her temperament. A saying that goes whenever Nobunaga is enraged, hide behind Ranmaru, as she’s the only ever person she’ll never lash her anger on

Renowned Beauty Ranmaru's incredibly beautiful appearance often leads others to tease her at times. Either reaction to her looks fluster her to no end, as she sees herself as a feminine person first and foremost.

Despite that, her appearance gained admirers wishing to earn her love and heart. While remained oblivious to her admirer’s feelings, a certain Lady is often carefully ensuring that no one will takes away Ranmaru from her

Bond Level 3:

Loyalty to the Demon King

Idolizing Nobunaga ever since they first met, Ranmaru devotes her every being, thoughts and action to her. She remains vigilant by her side in protecting the safety of her lady. She interprets every command given to her, be it her being a scribe for her lady's proclamations or providing assistance with moving the castle's inventory, as an extension of Nobunaga's own actions. Ranmaru even dedicates her copious training sessions with the other pages –with who she speaks with warm respect– a means of serving Nobunaga.

Bond Level 4:

Keen Observation

Mori Ranmaru was invaluable within the Oda clan's HQ because no one else could cope with Oda Nobunaga's need for speed. The rest of the people only fell into indescribable chaos and constant confusion because Oda notoriously never planned anything ahead, and then she demanded the order to do anything to get done that very second. Tradition said that Mori even gave what Oda wanted before she did want it -- this was a nearly impossible mission for anyone else. But to her, it was nothing difficult with her perceptive nature

Bond Level 5:

The Last Stand of Honnoji

Rank: Type: Anti-Army Range: 1~99 Max Targets: 100 people

Rather than her swordmanship, archery or riding... The sword in her hand was a bluff in tricking enemies that her Noble Phantasm holds in there. But in truth, her renowned heroism and bravery in preventing enemies from getting Nobunaga’s head was hidden in small dagger at her back. A noble phantasm activated via commiting the act of seppuku to end her life, unleashing the blood to set ablaze herself and her enemies... And her warm blood to protect her Lord and Lady until her body perished.

Clear "Interlude"

Before her Master, she resumed her role like any other Servant fulfilling with utmost respect and loyalty to them. Even her life is needed to be sacrificed, she’ll do anything that it takes to restore humanity for her Master.

However, because her heart and loyalty has and will always belong to her beloved Lady Nobunaga... An oath is requested by Ranmaru to her Master, if should ever a time they become enemies... She accepts death willing in their hands all in the name to protect her Lady.

Dialogue

Summoned “Servant, Saber. True Name, Mori Ranmaru. A humble page of Oda Nobunaga. I’m ready to be at your service, Master-dono.” Level Up ”Watch over me, Lady Nobunaga! I shall never stop moving forward!” 1st Ascension “Master, is there something wrong? My outfit, you say? I see, I humbly apologize at my disgraceful appearance--No, there’s nothing wrong?” 2nd Ascension “Thank you, Master. I hope I lived up to expectations!” 3rd Ascension “It is a great honor to be favored with such assistance, Master. I’ll repay your hard work devotion with my utmost effort to become strong soon!” 4th Ascension “I see... This is how far I could go... No, it’s not your fault, Master. I didn’t think being a Servant would have such a terrible limit. You’re always doing your best watching over me, just like... *chuckles* No, I shouldn’t compare. It was rude of me. You are you, and she is she. Regardless, the service of Ranmaru shall will always be ready whenever you need, Master-dono.”

Battle

Battle Start 1 “I shall serve unwavering devotion!"

Battle Start 2 “I pledge my life to the service of my lady.“

Skill 1 I'll take care of it!

Skill 2 "I humbly ask for assistance."

Attack Selected 1 ”Prepare yourself!”

Attack Selected 2 "I'll take care of it!"

Attack Selected 3 "I shall go forth!"

Noble Phantasm Selected “I am prepared to meet death...honorably....“

Attack 1 “Now!”

Attack 2 "Sliced and diced!"

Attack 3 "My blade dances!"

Extra Attack "My sword will wreak havoc on the battlefield!"

Noble Phantasm “Craving out my own path of glory, my blade hungers for warm blood... This place shall be our burial ground. Those who wish to die, come forth! The Last Stand of Honno-Ji!“

Damage from Noble Phantasm "Finish me now!"

Regular Damage “Ouch!”

Defeated 1 "So be it...my life is expendable..."

Defeated 2 "Lady Nobunaga... Can you ever forgive me for this failure...?"

Battle Finish 1 "I have claimed a victory for my Master!"

Battle Finish 2 "We can win! Let us go to the next!"

My Room (if Nobunaga is not summoned in Chaldea)

Bond Lvl 1 “You’re surprised that I’m a woman? Does that displease you, Master? No, you’re surprised that it matches perfectly like the historical records? You’re too kind, my Master. My appearance is nothing compared to my beautiful lady Nobunaga.”

Bond Lvl 2 ”Master, here’s your report for the previous training session. Yes, all Servants are counted in present in their respective room. Also, here’s your tea after a long day of paperwork Emiya-dono has brewed for you. I’ve also prepare your selected mystic code for the next mission hours later--Master, is there something on my face?”

Bond Lvl 3 “Honnoji? Oh yes, that... It’s my fault. I should have foreseen Mitsuhide-dono’s supsicious behavior. To betray my Lady like this, is the most unforgivable of all! But, my greatest regret is that I’ve failed as her page to protect her...”

Bond Lvl 4 “That small sword behind me... It’s the blade that I used to follow Lady Nobunaga in death. A choice I never regret that I’ll be able to follow her even in death as she wished, as long as she remained safe behind the doors to protect from those filthy hands.“

Bond Lvl 5 “Your ideals, your strength, your charisma... Everything about you reminds me of my beloved lady. If I could amends my weakness in the past... I wished to be your sword, Master-dono. My life and my being is yours to use to restore humanity.”

Dialogue 1 “Master-dono, I’ve prepared your belongings, shall we head out? Your favorite snacks that I’ve sneaked in along with Emiya-dono’s packed lunch. I believe it’s not good to remain idle for so long.”

Dialogue 2 “Master-dono, when was the last time you sleep? Do not lie to me. This Mori Ranmaru knows you spent days going from training after training, tending to the children here, attending meetings for countless hours... And at the end of day, you threw yourself into the seas of paper.”

Dialogue 3 “Master-dono, you’re giving me a day off?! Why? Have I done a mistake terribly to earn that punishment? ... No? You wished for me to rest after working so hard? That’s my job as your Servant, Master-dono. If I were to take a break, who were to---I... I see. Of course, you’re a competent Master leading so many Servants before you. Very well, I’ll humbly accept this reward you’ve given, Master-dono.”

Dialogue 4 (Chacha) “Yodo-dono... Yodo-dono is here, Master-dono?! I see... Fufu, she does have her aunt’s ambitious personality. Please do be kind to her, Master-dono. After all, she... No, she has nothing to do with her father’s sin.”

Something you Like “Tending my swords. Though, it had become more of a habit than liking. You must always be prepare for a battle even in peaceful days, Master-dono.”

Something you Hate ”Mitsuhide-dono. That man... I swore on my sword, the next time if we ever meet... I’ll personally cut him down myself for betraying Lady Nobunaga.”

About the Holy Grail “A wish from the Holy Grail? If there’s only one wish of a page like me, I’d like to give it to Lady Nobunaga herself. A treasure like this befits more in my Lady’s hand, Master-dono. My wishes and desires are Lady Nobunaga’s. Whatever she wished for, I’ll do my best to grant them all.”

During an Event The ruckus outside... It feels very similar during the days in Oda Castle. Master-dono, shall we head out?

Birthday Happy Birthday, Master-dono! I hope you will accept this humble gift from this Ranmaru. I thought it was the perfect gift for you."

My Room (if Nobunaga is summoned in Chaldea)

Bond Lvl 5 “Your ideals, your strength, your charisma... Both you and Lady Nobunaga are very similar, Master-dono. Serving two lords are unheard of, but this Mori Ranmaru still wished to be your sword, Master-dono. My life and my being is yours to use to restore humanity.”

Bond Lvl 5 (after clearing interlude) “Master-dono, I pray for a day where our paths will never be conflicted. Even as I may be your Servant... My heart and loyalty, will always be with my Lady Nobunaga. If that day ever comes, please do not hesitate to slain me alone as one of your adversaries. I’ll accept any punishment even death itself as long as you don’t lay your hand onto her. However, if you choose to... No, I believe you’ll never harm Lady Nobunaga, Master-dono.”

Dialogue 4 (to Nobunaga) ”Is... Is it really you, my lady? Yes, that’s right! It’s me, your Ranmaru, my lady. I’ve missed you terribly ever since the day death parted us in Honnoji. If there’s a wish I’ve ever asked for... It would be to see and serve you again, Lady Nobunaga. Oh my lady... I’ve missed you so much.”

Dialogue 5 (Okita Souji) ”Okita Souji of Shinsengumi Squad... I must admit, even with her illness she is truly admirable to lead the squad. But, my Lady wished for you to be eliminated--’No, you can’t! She’s our comrade?!’ ... Very well, Master-dono. With reluctance I shall pull back my blade.”

Dialogue 7 (Chacha) “Yodo-dono... Yodo-dono is here, Master-dono?! I see... Fufu, she does have her aunt’s ambitious personality. Please do be kind to her, Master-dono. After all, she... No, she has nothing to do with her father’s sin.”

Dialogue 8 (Okita Alter) “Master-dono? That person... It’s Okita-dono, right?! Eh? ‘A completely separate existence’? I... I see... This Ranmaru feels they are similar. But, I also feel that it’s very similar to Lady Nobunaga as well.

Something you Like “Tending my swords. Though, it had become more of a habit than liking. You must always be prepare for a battle even in peaceful days, Master-dono.”

Something you Hate ”Mitsuhide-dono. That man... I swore on my sword, the next time if we ever meet... I’ll personally cut him down myself for betraying Lady Nobunaga.”

During an Event The ruckus outside... It feels very similar during the days in Oda Castle. Master-dono, shall we head out?”

Birthday Happy Birthday, Master-dono! I hope you will accept this humble gift from this Ranmaru. I thought it was the perfect gift for you."

Other Dialogue lines:

Nobunaga (to Ranmaru): “Ran... Is that you, my Ranmaru?! To think this day would finally come... Silly girl, even after the world is ended, I’ll do anything to see you again. Hey hey, crying is not suited for a beautiful orchid like you. Oh Ran... Though you’ll never be able to grow up, will you be my side once more? Not just as my page... But the one woman who should be walking by my side when I rule this world.”

Okita Souji: “You’re that Archer’s page?! Unbelievable! Why, you asked? How is there anyone willing to serve her? More importantly... Were you always a woman?!”

#the shit i shit myself into #not categorized shit #as to why is because i've been fucking salty there's no ranmaru servant #and koha-ace never bothered focusing on them #not only that it feels their existence is completely remove...#but i'm not surprised as to why they remove ranmaru

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aniki-xvi · 5 years

Photo

“ How can Hattori-keiji handle this? I’d have slapped her ages ago, such a pushover!"

That was a common comment to hear when a certain cherry blond child of about 11 years old shows up around Beika police station.

“Aren’t you exaggerating? I’m sure it’s just because Hattori is so good with kids”

Hakuba Saguru, who otherwise would be adamant to say a single positive thing about his Osakan counterpart, can’t help but admit to himself that Hattori is being unjustly criticized by a lot of people for an otherwise rather admirable trait he himself admits of envying him for.

After College, these two High School detectives became police officers. Within this time, Hakuba Saguru had taken over Kudo Shinichi’s title of Detective of the East as he settled down in Japan, not to Hattori liking of course, but the media didn’t take anyone’s opinion.

As for Kudou Shinichi, no one knows anything about him, the rumors of him popping up randomly had died down. The general public think he’s dead, MIA or whichever floated the News-Anchor’s boat at the moment of discussion. The Kudo’s themselves bypass the questions when they, on rare occasions, get caught by a journalist during a book publishing. And even the Mouri's aren't sure of his whereabouts, nor does he call them anymore, or at least that's what Mouri Ran says.

Hattori Heiji, on the other hand, doesn't seem to be bothered about it. He still slips the name Kudo every now and then, but people had started associating that name out of his mouth to Edogawa Conan, as they see him calling the boy that quite often. They wrote it off for boy's close resemblance and blood relationship to the once Ex-Detectives of the East.

Speaking of the child prodigy, he is also a cause of distressing rumors and criticism towards Hattori. These ones are of a nastier kind... Humans really are double-faced. They sure don't say anything but nice things to his face and when an Osakan police officer is around, in fear of being tattle-taled on to one Hattori Heizo.

“Are you for real, Hakuba-keiji? That child is in need of some serious disciplining. He's just making it worse with the way he is spoiling her rotten."

The gossip circle sneered in unison.

To be fair, that is how it looks. Hakuba was never close to either the child nor Heiji, but he had seen her often nowadays, and he did notice. He notices how she's always so closed off and antisocial when it comes to the majority of anyone other than the Osakan. he did notice how she tries to hide her paranoia, and he did notice how she has an off-looking guilty demeanor when she thinks no one is looking. He is a detective after all , a one interested with the human psyche nonetheless.

He gave up on trying to calm these petty minded colleagues of his, he left them he. They were just waiting on the smallest of things to hold against Hattori. They were crazy jealous of him for one-upping them even though he is but a newcomer to the field, officially speaking.

He turned his attention back to the child. She was reprimanding Hattori for a reckless move he had done resulted in multiple injuries. That would have been adorable, but her method .... it was harsh, if not a little impolite.. alright very impolite and rude considering the age difference.

And that sitting posture definitely does not help her cause…

Hakuba ponders interrupting them, maybe give an advice or two… -At the end of the day, it is Hattori after all, there is a high possibility he simply did not notice their colleagues judgment. And the girl could just be unaware since no one bothers dares to talk to her.

the decision was taken out of his hand when she all but gives a kick to the cast of his arm, causing a loud yelp to catch the attention of everyone around. He seriously needed to get there first or else damage control -from his colleagues rather than the bodily harm of the Detective.

“Hey! Haibara-chan! That might have been a joke on your side, any other day Hattori-kun here would have been able to take it. But just because his arm is cast, doesn’t mean that he wouldn’t feel any pain from your kick just now. Or worse, his fracture may not heal well. I’m sure you wouldn’t really want that, aren’t I right?” Hakuba put on the most patronizing smile he could muster in hopes of showing his non-hostility regardless of the scolding he just gave. He admits, he never knew how to deal with children, never was good at it like Hattori or Kuroba.

“…” Hattori and the child just stared at him foa whilele as if he was the one who sprouted a second head. He really hoped the child took his words seriously, and it seemed so when she took one long look back at the cast. Then caught Hattori’s eye then looked back at his before.. “OUCH!”

She kicked Hattori’s arm a second time while keeping her eyes locked at Hakuba, daring him to do something about it.

This time it was another colleague who came rushing in with a scolding of his own. Demanding to talk to her parents to give them a piece of his mind.

The girl didn’t spare the colleague any look instead. “You hear loser of a Police Detective, you’ve got the whole office worrying over your fragile ass. Is that really conduct befit of a Police offer? How are the citizens supposed to trust you with their safety?”

Then when the complete poise of a young lady she simply stands and walks out of the office evading any attempts at ‘disciplining’ from the enraged police.

The moment her presence was far enough, the loud complains started. All the animosity towards a child from a bunch of adults working the law enforcing field really is disconcerting …

And the man in question just walks up and heads out from the office.

Now Hakuba and Hattori may not have been on friendly terms, but it was only gentlemanly to check on the injured.

“Hattori-kun! Those arms needs to be checked!” He called after him.

“And where do you think I’m going exactly?” That’s true, they were heading towards the infirmary.

The doctor greeted them wondering over their visit. “Need pain killers for that Hattori-keiji?”

“Nothing like that, I need a saw.”

Well, that was extreme…

“Excuse me?” Was the only thing the flabbergasted doctor says. “Is there anything wrong with the cast that ‘I’ applied?”

Can’t blame him.. that did sound like Hattori is questioning the Doctor’s skills.

“Yeah, in fact -“

“HE WAS KICKED!” Hakuba just had to step in, he really didn’t want to know what the Osakan planning to say next. “TWICE!” The hot-blooded detective has a record for being just that uncouth. “I believe it might need to check, he encountered an.. incident. And the cast had taken quiet the damage. Doctor, please take a look at it.”

“Ah that won’t be necessary, I’ll just go the hospital and get it don —“

“Ah! Were you in that much pain Hattori-kun! You should have just said that, here we’ll go right away! Sorry, Sensei for bothering you! We’ll be taking our leave right away! Have a good day!” And before the poor doctor could even react they were out of the door and out of the whole building buckled up in Hakuba’s car.

“Hey ! What was that all about !? I could’ve got the cast removed first, that way I’d have less explaining to do when I reach the hospital”

“Hey! What was that all about ?! Should be My line! Gosh, Hattori-kun do you even realize the position you are in? Antagonizing the HQ’s only Doctor won’t make it any better!!”

“My position? I’m a Police Detective?” Hakuba couldn’t believe it … Hattori really had zero awareness over his surroundings

“… Hattori-kun, please listen carefully.” He waited for the roar of the engine to quite down before starting their trip to the hospital. “Number one; People here think you only made it due to connection, because of your Father the Superintendent Supervisor Hattori Heizo.”

“In that front, we are not too different from each other. Right, Mr the Son of Superintendent General fo the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department?” There was no lack of sass added to that long title.

“Number two; they are jealous of you and your unmatched skills.”

“Wow, is that a declaration of defeat? That I am your superior” Oh boy, the Osakan sure is enjoying this.

“Don’t get your head in the clouds just yet, I never mentioned anything about you being my superior in anything. But I was talking for the Other people's point of view anyway. Your skills sure are all rounded for a Police Detective, from your not half bad deduction skills to your physical ability to catch any runaway criminals. Even I have to give praise where praise is needed.”

“…Wow! Is the earth about to end? To get Praised by You “

“ Number Three!” He tried to ignore the suspicious looks Hattori is throwing his way. “Those uncouth rumors getting around about your questionable taste. Don’t get me wrong, as long as no illegal behavior is going on I believe everyone has the right and freedom to love who they want. After all the maters of heart are not so easily controlled, but actions are!”

“…. what? Wait? What are you talking about ? ‘illegal behavior’ ‘ freedom to love’ ‘maters of heart’? What is this about? And how did we get here from my skills as a detective?”

“…” Hakuba steals a quick look at him before returning his focus completely to the road ahead. “You … you really don’t know? There is no need to play dumb in front of me. After all I just told you I’m not gonna judge you .. as long as there is nothing against the law …”

“What the fuck are you talking about to stuck up brit?! If you got something to say just say it clearly !!!” Oh, it seems Hattori really doesn’t know what rumors are flowing around him.

“People think you’re carrying a torch for children…” .... “Edogawa Conan to name one..”

“….” Hattori really never caught any wind of those rumors. Wow, being that oblivious is gotta be a talent unparalleled.

“HUH! To name ONE? What the heck does that mean ?????!!!” Hattori launched himself on the blond, grabbing him by his collar.

“Hey! I’m driving !”

“What they fuck you mean!!! Explain yourself!!!”

“I will I will, just don’t get us in an accident!” Reluctantly Hattori removed his hands and sat back in his seat.

“Well? Go on !”

“Your friendly attitude towards the Detective Boys, and overall familiarity, gives people around an unfathomable opinion..”

“THEY THINK I’M A PEDO ???”

“Well I was trying to be tactful with saying it…”

“What … just because I’m friends with them ???”

“ You see Hattori-kun, people don’t tend to be ‘Friends’ with a whole bunch of kids half their age. That of its own gives people the ammunition to fire at you with nasty rumors.”

“And what is this about Ku-Conan-kun??”

“That, right there. For one reason or another, you’ve taken to calling by a name not his. And the way you try to -poorly- hide it, makes it sound like a secret between the two of you,” Hakuba paused here to make sure the other is listening. “like a pet name.”

“Huh, and? What about it?” By that look on his face doesn’t seem he understood what Hakuba was trying to say.

“Really? Then let’s add the undisguised enthusiasm you greet him with every single time he shows up. The catering to his every need. The complete disregard to any one else in the vicinity when he’s around. The 100 % focus zoned on his existence alone and the way the two of you seem to be able to have complete conversation with uttering a single word. Or the silent meaningful looks and an apparent shared secret sign language between the two of you.” Hakuba glares at him from the edge of his eyes. “Do you get where I’m getting at.”

“…So? We’re good friends, best friends even. How does that translate to Pedophilia?”

“Hattori ! Are you being dense are just trying to make me boil!” By now the two have reached the hospital and parked. But neither made a move to get out of the car, too engrossed by the conversation. “If he was someone around our age, then Perhaps people would buy that. Though even then, the likelihood of claiming then the two you to be lovers would still be very high. So imagine how that looks when he is HALF your age!!

“…. So what? Just because he barely reaches my waist I’m supposed to treat him… how exactly? For it to be ‘proper’ in the eyes of the public?”

“First, you definitely to put distance between the two of you! There is just too much skinship involved between the two of you to be considered legal. Second, there should be rules and not let him talk so casually to you. You two are just way too familiar with each other. I bet that Edogawa is not at fault, but with your lead, he’s been dragged in the middle this mess by you. Third, show some restraint, don’t let your heart show on your face for the whole world to see. Even if Edogawa-kun is some you love so dearly, you shouldn’t let the world see it!” … Well there it is, he said it all. Hakuba can only take deep breaths as he waits for Hattori-kun’s retort.

Hattori just stares at him in astonishment. After 30.05 seconds pass , yes Hakuba counted, he collapses into his seat and stares into nothing in front of him.

One last thing to add. “It’s not just Edogawa-kun you have to watch your attitude around. Haibara-chan as well, no one would just allow a kid to disrespect them that much in public. She was sitting with her legs on your desk, hound as though she was your elder. And the way you let her get away with it every time, without a single reprimand, on the opposite encouraging her but laughing along. That's just adding fuel to the ‘Pedophilic’ fire.”

“…” Understandably Hattori seems to be in quite the shock taking it all in, he still has to move. “Please understand, Hattori-kun, Regardless of our not so friendly history, I don’t really hold any animosity towards you. It hurts me to see someone as capable as you being roasted for such things.”

“And you ?”

“Excuse me?” Hakuba wasn’t expecting that as a possible reply.”

“ believe everyone has the right and freedom to love’ What do you think? You also think I’m a Pedo?” He turned to meet his gaze intensely.

“ … I ..”

“So you do…”

“Look! I understand the appeal.” Hakuba finally said. “Edogawa-kun is quite charming, regardless of his age, he has a sharp mind. And he is quite a capable young lad. Very charismatic, and definitely on the appealing side. Strong and dependable. I’d imagine as he is right now he is very popular, I cannot fathom how that will be in a couple of years. So I do not believe you are a Pedophilic, Hattori-kun, but I can understand how Edogawa-kun could be an exception. So, no I don’t judge you for that-“

Before he was able to even finish his sentence he was pushed against his seat with a lion pouncing on him. Hattori-kun this time had a murderious look to him as he grabbed his collar with both fists and ..chocked -cause there is just no other way to say it- him, his face thrusted to Hakuba’s.

“.. It sounds to me like YOU might be the one holding a torch for him. Hakuba” how the hell did he reach to that conclusion? “I promise you this, if you touch him! No, you dare LOOK at him with anything less than clean Buddhistic thoughts, I’ll gauge your eyes out, and then your balls. You get me Brit?!”

… Oh wow, how did this turn on him? But damn, Hattori-kun really means every single word… regardless of the punishment, he is sure that something painful would be the result if he thought he looked at the boy. Hakuba is a man, a man that at the moment is not ashamed to say, he is truly scared for his life. This is pure bloodlust oozing out of the Osakan.

He could only manage one small silent shaky nod, in hopes that’ll give him space to breath.

Hattori-kun kept his hold for another minute to drive his point, before he retreated back to his seat. Hakuba was unable to get his heart beats to calm down before Hattori-kun pulled out his phone and dialed, putting it on speaker.

“Hattori!” Edogawa-kun’s voice greeted from the other end. “ I’m in the middle of something, need something?”

Hattori kept silent. Was he really about to tell Edogawa that Hakuba was a danger to him? Hakuba couldn’t help it, but he could not school his expression anymore. Hattori might have come to conclusions all on his own, even if Hakuba had never had untoward intentions for the child, he did enjoy the friendly conversation they occasionally had. It’d really hurt if he was looked at with wariness by him. A word from Hattori will turn him into an ‘enemy’.

He wonders how did his face look to Hattori, as he seemed to be debating what to say.

“Hattori ? You there?” Worry was seeping into the child’s voice.

“I’m here.”

“… Alright..? So ? What’s this about? You don’t sound so good. Need me to call an ambulance for you?”

“..How come that’s the first thing ya think of?”

“Well-“

“Kudo ,” Hakuba was surprised, Hattori wasn’t hiding it..

“….. Yes? Hattori ?”

“..Kudo, “

“I’m .. here listening?”

“Kudo… what do ya think of me stop calling you that… for real this time? I know you are always complaining about it”

“Hattori you ok?”

“Just.. just answer the question.” Hattori took a shaky breath in. “Please?”

“…I don’t really get what this is about Hattori,I may have been pissed at you slipping up in public, but it’s been years , If there were to be any trouble to come from you calling me by it, it would have happened already. I don’t see the reason for you to start too hard now to stop.” The breath Hattori was holding was let out just as slow and shaky. “In all honesty, if you start calling me ‘Conan’ obediently I’d be worried you were replaced. All good Hattori?”

“What about my … attitude ? Do you find me too pushy? Too friendly? Too… too much?”

“Hattori where are you now? Did someone say something to you? What is it? ”

“Damn it Kudo just answer!”

“ …. Look, Hattori … The most thing I appreciate about you since we first met was you genuine personality. If you stop doing anything by a conscious effort on your end, you lose that beloved trait then.”

“…” Hattori shaky breath is too loud, Edogawa-kun must be able to hear them as well. He sounds on the verge of either panic attack or tears, trying his best to hold them back.

“Hattori, looking back at it, I don’t think I ever mentioned this before… but when we first met.. I .. I was not in a very good place. I mean you know exactly the circumstances I was in…

I was.. drowning. Every day was suffocating, I had no plan, no idea what I was doing or where I was going or what to search for even. Day by day I was losing hope.. I lost hope… but you see surprising what really did me in was.. the fact that I had no one I can connect with. There was only Hakase and my parents who knew my circumstances then. My parents never available, and there are just things , a lot of things I couldn’t burden the Professor with…

The kids were great, but … they were that, kids, on a mental level, we never clicked, as hard as they tried. And the ones I could connect with, were treating me like the child they think I am.

And then you .. forced your way into my life. It was like a hurricane! All that routine I had established, all the walls, all the human connections I gave up on. And you just came in, upturned my whole life upside down. Second meeting, you had me exposed to the skeleton. You saw things in me, people I live with tell now don’t see. And it only took you two meeting.

Instead of being understandably weirded out, freaked out even, or at least caution by what my circumstances, you instead offered a hand for friendship...

Well offered is not saying it right, again, like everything else you do, you imposed your friendship on me.

But Hattori, that was exactly what I was missing…. And I didn’t even realize it till you gave it to me, on a plater of gold and diamonds. Never once did you even ask me to so something I wasn’t already on board with. Never took anything in return.

I know I’m not a good friend. I understand that, I get told that frequently, I’m Never the one to call- unless to ask for things off you. Never the one to ask over your wellbeing, never the one to go and visit you, very crass with you, perhaps very disrespectful, and yet …. You tolerate all that and were always dropping by from Osaka to Tokyo like I was your next door neighbor. You spoil me so much to the point that I don’t even realize my lack of effort in this friendship, how you’re always the one giving, and I’m always on the receiving end.

And to top it all, you ,not once, have you every made me feel like I’m anything but your equal. Never made me feel like I’m being tolerated, rather, I always felt like you genuinely like spending time with me.

And here you are, after college, in Tokyo. I still don’t understand why you left Osaka and came here, perhaps its a bit egotistical of me to think, you did it to be closer to me.

Hattori you saved me.

You save me, every day…. My list of friends my have grown, but at the beginning of it all is your name. You helped me when I was at my lowest. I don’t you are even aware of it, but … there was……”

Edogawa fell silent.

“Kudo..?”

Hakuba’s feeling of intrusion is grating badly on his mind. But it was Hattori’s fault for having this conversation right here and on speaker where he can easily hear it all. Perhaps he wasn’t expecting it to become this heartfelt. And Perhaps Hakuba should have made his exist a while back, or at least made his presence known to the other party.

But can you blame him? He wouldn’t want to admit it anymore, but he was having a look at a secret aspect of the lives of two of the people he admire the most. Of course He’ll be greedy for more. It was presented to him as it is after all.

Although, it crushes him to think he is the cause of that painful look on Hattori’s face. He really only meant to help… how did it end up like this?

Edogawa-kun breathing is getting louder… and slower, as though trying he is trying hard to regain control over them. But he has yet to continue.

“Kudo ? You alright buddy ?” Hattori is close to just kicking Hakuba out of his driver’s seat and take his place to go to Edogawa’s place right this instance if Edogawa does not answer soon.

“ Once, “ He really is having trouble to even speak out, never mind keeping his voice steady. “Once I was… I lost it…”

“Lost .. what?”

“Lost it, the well to see the next day…”

Does that mean what Hakuba thinks it means?! There is no way to interrupt that then-

“Kudo! What do you mean ?? You couldn’t have-!”

“Oh I did, Letter was written, and tucked not too well hidden but enough that it won’t be found quickly. Stuff arranged and… I just sat there, looking down the edge.. I don’t why I went for a “Jump off the Roof” troop, but I think, I wanted to feel exhilaration at the last moment if possible.. it was always tempting…” He took a deep audible breath, perhaps tears were flowing at this point. “ But you see, right when I had made my mind, you ha!” An odd time for laugh… almost hysterical in nature. “ You! You sent me a text, at 3 am ! Who does that?”

“… I did? Why , I mean I don’t think I am ever really aware of the time when I text you, but what did I send?”

“See, here is the funny bit. You sent me a text, asking me and I quote ; Are you alright buddy ? Been a while, wanna come over to Osaka? I’ll show you the time of your life you just wait! I mean you, at that very second, right after I had made my mind had asked me, if I was alright…”

“…. I… I’m sorry can’t remember that was, I’m always inviting you over to Osaka …”

“It’s alright… I don’t either…. “ That is disturbing, how can someone not remember when they had attempted to jump off a ROOF??!! “It happened multiple time…. As you said, you’re always inviting me over to Osaka, and every time I’d attempt something, a text would appear from you, along the same lines. I sometimes wonder, if perhaps, there is something to the supernatural with you, an esper if any existed. Your timing were always amazing ”

“…Kudo I.. I don’t know what to say, I’m sorry I never noticed-“

“But you did! See that’s just the thing with you Hattori, you do notice, and you do help, in all the right way, but you never make a scene about it. I never feel humiliated for loosing grip, or being weak. Cause somehow you help with ever letting me loose face, and I’m able to go to sleep and wake up the next morning all refreshed, as though a burden was lifted. Even though in reality nothing ever changed.

Just … You.

So Hattori, do me a favor?”

“Yes Kudo ? Anything !”

“Never change… just always be yourself. I don’t care what people are saying about me, if that’s is what you are worried about. I’m sorry that our friendship has caused such rumors to fly around the police department like that- “

“You Knew?!”

“I may be many things but I am not oblivious. Plus, Haibara made sure I know the extent of the matter… I’m sorry”

“What do you have to be sorry about?!”

“The possibility of you not being aware of the rumors was there in my head. The right thing to do was to double check wither you were aware or not. Instead, I feared if I mentioned them, then I’d shine a light on it were you’d be enforced to take actions. And between my selfish desire to not have anything change between us, and my hope that you were fully aware and still treating me the same regardless of the rumors,… I was too scared to open the topic with you.

This is what brought upon this specific phone call, am I right?”

“…yeah …”

“…..It’s alright, I understand. I’ll do my best to minimize interactions with you. I admit I got way to used to your spoiling. I might forget myself-“

“Who said anything about changing anything?!”

“Huh? I thought we just confirmed that this call was cause you were worried about the rumor?”

“When have I ever?! I may have just been made aware of them, but I was worried about you! And if I understood correctly, you said you didn’t give a damn, right?”

“…ah.. Right “

“Then that’s all that matters! People can go F*** themselves up the ***** and smash their ***** in***** and ******** ******,” Well that is creative cursing…. Hakuba doesn’t even understand the meaning of half of them… Nakamori-keibu would be proud. “if any of them dare to give you trouble, you just send them my way!! I’ll teach them how to mind their own **** business”

“..Pfttt Ha ha !” Edogawa at least , it sounds, finds it amusing enough to be crying of laughter.

“And Kudo, about that bull talk about losing grip, I’m here. I’m always here. I may not always understand what you go through, but I promise you, I’m always here for you. I won’t judge, I won’t tell tale, I’ll keep your secrets.

I’ll keep you safe.

You just need to rely on me”

“….Thank you Hattori , I know” Good, sounds like Edogawa had calmed down. “ So, are you coming over for dinner?”

“So far seems like I will, I’ll call if something changes.”

“Perfect, see you then.”

“See ya.”

And with that , the heavy conversation finally came to an end.

And Hakuba is still there…. He wonders if perhaps Hattori-kun completely forgot about him.

“There you go.”

Huh? “Pardon?”

“There you go, that’s my answer to your worries. I won’t change a single thing. I can be an outcast, or a pedo, or whatever heck they want to call me. Unless they plan to put me in jail for it, they can all eat my ***** “

“… Well, I’m glad you are at least recognize your position. And after that conversation, I can’t fault you. Perhaps, I would even nominate you for the ‘Friend of the Century’ award.” He gave Hattori a reassuring smile “ I’m on your side.”

“….Don’t think I’ve forgotten about your interest in my buddy” Ah, he was hoping that was deleted from his memory.

“It’s not like that! You just jumped to conclusion on your own!”

“Still keeping my eyes on you!” And he mimed that to add emphasis.

“Anyways, your arm! Don’t you need that looked at?”

“Hmm, ah right, this all started because of small neechan.”

“Ah no, that was bound to happen anyways, she was just a catalyst.” Since Hattori is being uncharacteristically forthcoming with him, he thought to push his luck and see for two more answers that’s been bugging him. “Edogawa aside, what about the girl. Why ‘small neechan’?”

“Why , how else should I call her? “

“Ah… again, age difference?? Why are you calling her Neechan?”

“I put small before it don’t I ? Plus, what else do you call someone smarter, better, stronger, more mature than you?”

“….. Should I worry about that?” Though that is what he said, the emotions Hattori was displaying were different then when it was about Edogawa. Oh there is respect there definitely but, not the passion. As one would speak of a Sister or a Mother.

“Dude, no ways , She’s super scary! What part of better and stronger did you not get?” Hakuba doesn’t understand what Hattori is talking about, the only kid who he might have associated those attributes to would be the infamous kid prodigy Edogawa, not Haibara. Hattori is talking as though if they were all placed on a scale, that little disrespectful rude thing Child would rank at the peak. “…Right..”

“You don’t believe me, do you?? You were praising my deduction skills previously!”

“What brings this to that”

“Well, half of my knowledge is Thanks to her! You praise Ku-Conan-kun, but you don’t see her appeal. That neechan got my ass out of so many troubles, I can’t number them. A lot of the time, when we’d be having trouble due to legal, technical issues or when the police hand’s were cuffed and hindered from catching a suspect, how do you imagine we broke through? Her man, I’m telling you, her!

Though she prefers to work the backstage, and leave the lime light to it’s people as she says.”

Hakuba is still having trouble believing him, but he’ll just take his word for it. If she garners that much respect out of the ‘fanboy’ , cause that seems like an appropriate description, he’d understand the chemistry between them.

Then one more mystery.

“Why ‘Kudo’? “

“Huh? What are you being so familiar, calling him like that ?” Oops, the blood lust is starting to ooze again.

“I meant, why do you call Edogawa Conan Kudo?”

“…. What do you think the reason is?”

“…” He did have a couple of theories, but he hoped to share them… still he really wanted to know the answer. It’s like an itch that won’t go away. “Because he looks like a younger Kudo Shinichi, is at least what people think. After that conversation though, I don’t believe you could be so insensitive as to compare someone , especially Edogawa, to anyone else but his person.”

“And that brings you to the conclusion of ….?”

“I .. can only imagine that he also is a Kudo, since it isn’t like you call him Shinichi, and Kudo is not a name saved for one person… perhaps a divorce and a change of name cause Edogawa to change from Kudo?”

“Well, there you go. Viola, mystery solved, wasn’t that much of a mystery was it ?”

“…. Really? That’s it? But Mouri-san never mentioned him being a Kudo,”

“But she did, after all everyone knows he is a relative to the Kudo’s… no one said he wasn’t one as well. Just from a different branch, I’m not gonna pretend I know how exactly he is related its too complicated I never memorized it. Something about beings someones grandfathers daughter.. but at the end Kudo Shinichi, Yusaku and Yukiko, … are not the only Kudos… Tha’s just absurd.”

“Alright… I’ll take your word for it.”

“Well, glad, not really, we had this conversation! Now can I go get this arm cast looked at? According to the small Neechan, its not set well, and would only prolong the healing process, perhaps even disturb it.”

“That..”

“Exactly, that’s where the kicking came from, I was being lazy and she was being urgent about it. Thought at least pain would get met to recheck it.”

“Ah ”

“Yeah, ah.”

1 hour later Hattori had a new cast, and comment from the doctor telling him how lucky he was to came so soon, before any real damage was done in the long term. the Doctor in the department needs to be reevaluated. Wither he did it out of spite from Hattori, or negligence, both are serious malpractice.

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letitrainasunnyday · 6 years

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Hiya! If you don't mind me asking, how has Ran's character developed throughout the series? People in the fandom say she's a well developed character can see plenty of Shins development but never Ran, maybe it's because I've watched it since I was tiny and she's always been an angel to me and I've always loved her, thanks in advance! I really love your answers :)

I mean, I’m the same, I’ve watched it since I can remember and she’s always been goals and role model.

(Thanks for your kind words, by the way!)

The biggest development I see in her is how much command she’s gained of her feelings. At the beginning she was afraid of them, ashamed of showing weakness, worried that she wouldn’t be allowed to feel everything she felt. She was scared of what she was feeling for Shinichi, she didn’t really feel entitled to miss him and always cried about it in secret… It was almost like she knew all she could feel was happiness because she wasn’t allowed to let other people worry about her.

She’s still like that a little bit, my poor hero, but she’s gotten better at handling it and at owning her emotions. So what if she has to cry? So what if she misses Shinichi? She’s entitled to feeling this way.

This is why it pained me so much that the fandom was always criticizing her for always crying, “being a crybaby”, or being a damsel in distress. Because Ran, even in canon, was already being subjected to that criticism in her own mind. She’s always believed she has to be strong, to put up a happy façade even if she’s feeling terrible, to worry about others but never let anyone be concerned about her. Remember how much she used to pretend like she didn’t miss Shinichi? Remember how she used to be embarrassed about the fact that she was sorely missing the love of her life, of whom she knew nothing about, not even if he was alive? Remember how people beat her up about that?

Ran always felt like she had to hide her pain or it would make her weak.

And then, slowly, she realized it made her strong.

She’s gained so much strength, she’s become a woman in command of what she feels and who no longer feels scared about showing it. She wants to kiss Shinichi at the Kyomizudera stage? You better believe she’s going to gather up the courage to do so. Would she have done that years ago? Nah-uh bitch. But Ran Mouri has grown. She has become an empowered woman.

Plus, with every day that goes by she realizes more and more that she can’t take anyone’s shit. I mean, what I’ve always loved about her is the fact that she never took any shit from anyone, that she would always call people out on their bullshit. But now? Now she’s done with everyone’s misogynist asses. She ain’t got time for your dumb murdering motive. She’s not gonna sit through your manpain. Ran Mouri has got shit to do, a life to lead, a future to take command of.

And you watch her go.

#I LOVE RAN MOURI SO MUCH #detective conan #ran mouri #troublesome tough hero #conan #Anonymous #conan ask #ran ask

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miskatsura · 6 years

Text

Could Ran Mouri’s character get further development?

Ran has been a character that has been through a lot of emotional stuff, more than anyone else in dc. My first impression of her was of a weak character that depended too much on Shinichi, and there are several things that annoyed me at first but were gradually changing over time, something I would call a development on her side:

She has missed him a lot: Ran has missed Kudo since chapter two, only a couple of hours after he disappeared! Fortunately Ran has gradually had less "Shinichi I miss you scenes" since she got the cell phone, but still there are iconic cases She still misses him, like Valentine's or White day. She would still miss him after Kyoto but now she's certain he would eventually come back to her.

Blind faith on Shinichi's actions: As the result of her love to Kudo, Ran trusts Shinichi even with her own life. Honestly I don't see this improving. I'm not saying she shouldn't, but Ran relying on Shinichi too much gives the vibe that she can't do anything alone. I think a little bit of freedom would make her better, not just for one case like the combini store case and vermouth's case, but permanently.

She's smart, but sadly status quo holds her back: Ran has suspected Shinichi being Conan for a while, but she's been fooled every single time, that seems like one step forward and two steps back on her development. I've argued this many times and still believe Ran's greatest development would be if She discovers Shinichi is Conan during the middle of the series, but chooses not to confront him, more like She helps him from the shadows. That's my wish, but realistically I don't think it would happen, Ran's super pure honest character gets in the way. just thought on the analogy that wish she does the same Ran did when she saw Jodie's hidden photos, she just hid without saying a word and helped Jodie in the most critical moment. Now change Jodie's photos for Conan's true identity and we got a deal.

Denial of her relationship with Kudo: Everytime Sonoko implied that Shinichi was Ran's husband she just got mad at her denying it. Thank God this changed for good, because it got on my nerves a lot. Thanks to the London confession. But now that they are officially a couple, there's no reason for this denial to happen ever again!

Ran's involvement with BO: It was nice that Ran confronted Vermouth after the halloween case. I wanted more, I wish Ran had pressured Vermouth harder to the point Conan or anyone present at that case noticed they knew each other. Like I've said before, Ran has the potential to be a strong ally against BO, but again she is held back, this might be more of a shonen manga issue than the character itself. Ran is strong emotionally, Probably one of strongest, and could become a great ally to Shinichi, instead of being the protected one.

There are also other traits that I wish remain unchanged, like her protective side. Ran was bullied as a kid and now she uses her strenght to protect others, that is awesome. She is the friend everyone wants, like she does not discriminate Sonoko for being rich or not being ill that Kazuha treated her badly on their first meeting.

that's all I can think about for now.

#ran mouri #just my thoughts

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mintchocolateleaves · 7 years

Text

And The Cycle Repeats

So, this is an experimental style that I love writing in. I actually wrote a novella in this style, I hope you all love it as much as I do.

Summary: Kaito steals hearts with a kiss and there’s nothing anyone can do to stop him. Kaito x Everyone

[Kaito gives them pieces of himself and pretends that it's love.]

The first is because he's bored.

Kaito is bored, and he is lonely, and a comment from a particularly cruel critic leaves him wondering whether the words 'KID wants a crowd because it's the only love he will ever receive' are true. He changes his hair style, dons the disguise of Kudo Shinichi and seeks her out.

Ran is lonely too, and even though she knows that it's not Kudo Shinichi whose touch lingers on her shoulders, she leans in when he touches her. She loses herself in the image of a boy who plays detective, and Kaito finds himself in the touch of a detective's daughter.

Each touch is gentle, understanding, and Kaito offers his sympathies to a girl who spends all her time waiting, wondering whether the boy she loves will ever return home. Each brush of his fingertips against skin is patient, waiting for confirmation.

Kaito learns a little bit more of patience, tells himself that maybe he can learn to wait if she will simply teach him how to, but Ran is too kind to tear him apart and so he never learns, not really.

He falls a little in love – but then, Kaito thinks it's impossible not to fall in love with Mouri Ran, with the way kindness lurks behind her eyes, danger coiled in every muscle. His heart breaks a little bit each time she tries to grant him a name, but it's alright.

He knows that it's never going to last, so Kaito makes sure to leave before the feeling fades from his skin.

[Kaito changes himself, and pretends that it makes him easier to love.]

The next is nothing like the first.

Where the first had been subtle, innocent pecks against cheeks, sometimes a daring brush against lips, the second is electrified, more outward. There is anger in the touches he receives – not full hate, but anger all the same.

Sera leaves bruises against his neck, bite marks used as a form of punishment for the time he disguised as her.

Where Ran was like water, serene, calm, Sera is electricity. She's got a plan, and a crush on a detective she'll never be with, and well, she's not the first to use Kaito as a substitute for the real deal.

Sera is like the breeze Kaito feels whenever he drives his motorbike at 90, flying down the motorway without a care in the world. She is passionate and alive, and she loves life in a way that Kaito... doesn't.

“You look like you're dying,” she says one day, when they are lying beside one another in the grass, having ridden out to some forgotten area in the middle of nowhere, their motorbikes left near a group of trees.

Kaito leans back and lets out a laugh, it feels hollow, uncertain but glancing other at Sera brings it to life, almost.

“I'm a living legend,” he laughs, as he leans over to face her. They don't speak about the fact that they have had so many people torn away, are plagued by the fact that there is so much they don't know. “And everyone knows legends don't die.”

He leaves her behind with the rev of his engine, replaces her lips against his neck with the breeze of the wind and pretends that it's alright to be a substitute and not the real thing.

[Kaito steals hearts with a kiss, and there's nothing anyone can do to stop him.]

He decides that the usual flings are difficult, and Kaito turns his attentions to someone who's more of a challenge. Summer passes with little response, although he doesn't quite remain with a single individual, is much to 'lovable' for that, but by the time autumn leaves spill across the floor, an array of reds and oranges, there's someone who gladly pulls at his hair and leaves his lips swollen.

Shinichi returns to a life with no secrets, and Kaito knows that in some sort of overwhelmed confusion, the other boy searches for a new secret to keep.

There are no fake aliases – well, only if he disregards his own of KID – and Kaito attempts to teach imagination where there is little, tries to rewire paranoia into caution. It's difficult, and Kaito spends more time trying to piece Kudo Shinichi back together than trying to tear him apart.

Funny, seeing as Kaito just wants to tear him apart. Wants to ask why he deserves to be loved when he's barely ever present, whereas Kaito who's never left anyone behind remains unloved and labelled as nothing but trouble.

Instead, his hands attempt to rewire what's broken – this isn't about love, it's about healing. And Kaito wants to snap - “oh, you thought you were special?”, but he doesn't, he simply kisses the groove of Shinichi's collarbone when nightmares force him awake, stitches him back together with a care he simply isn't used to giving.

Shinichi is grieving the time he'd lost, and Kaito joins him in the time he's still got to live through, and together they are a mesh of emotion, trying to focus on the fact that they are more than the organisations they fight.

It's better for the both of them, when Kaito leaves. He's still in the middle of his fight against animals, and Shinichi still has to deal with the aftermath of his own altercations with alcohols.

Plus, Kaito's pretty sure that he doesn't want to be another person's substitute. And he knows that every kiss they share tastes of Ran and her strawberry lip balm. There is no splitting those two up, Kaito thinks, and maybes he's glad for them, but mostly it hurts.

[The thing with stealing hearts is that KID returns what he steals.]

The fourth is different.

There are no kisses, no lingering touches. Instead of love bites, there is sitting across from one another on balconies, hands intertwined, fingertips touching.

It's not the type of love Kaito expects from the Suzuki family's heir, especially with the way she calls out to him at every heist, but Sonoko is innocent when it comes to love.

KID is her first love, her only what-if.

But she is content with platonic romance, with the roses he gives her, flirtatious quotes and the odd leaning over to brush her hair from her eyes. She is reserved, and Kaito isn't sure whether it's because all of her passion remains overseas with a boyfriend she barely sees, or whether it's because her best friends have already had him.

“I bet you give roses to all the pretty girls,” she comments one day, when he climbs up to her room, hovering in the window. She looks over at a purple stained rose, and there is sadness there, as if she's just realised that he could become anyone, charm anyone.

“Maybe,” Kaito says, “but only you deserve them.”

She offers him a smile, and holds the rose close to her chest. She turns away, and Kaito knows that this is the moment she will turn him away completely, having seen under the monocle and the masks he wears. He doesn't mind though... At least this time he's not been a substitute, at least this time he's someone she'd actually wanted.

He leaves a piece of himself behind, leaves behind the blue ribbon from his hat, and hopes that she'll use it to remember.

He grabs a spare hat for new heists, decides that it's too late to fix something that's broken.

[His affection is an illusion, but it's not quite magic.]

The next is a car crash.

Kaito draws her in and pretends that pinpricks against fabric doesn't tear holes into his skin. He is the only one she wants, and it is not because of love, but everything between them is magic.

Akako is a witch, Kaito is a magician, and maybe in another world it would be enough, but instead it's a barrage of emotions. He doesn't love her, because there is always someone else, and she doesn't love him, she just wants him to succumb to her will.

Each touch burns, hot and raw, scorching him the way hellfire scorches the rooms that Akako uses to summon Lucifer. There are snapped words of hating one another, and Kaito gives up the claim that KID is not his alter-ego because Akako knows to much for him to deny it.

They are both the bruises left on wrists, anger filling stone hearts.

Akako will never love another man, she states, because they drool all over her. And she will never love KID because he doesn't. It's fine, because Kaito will never love a witch, and Akako is the wrong colour anyway – she is a hot, bubbling red and Kaito's only ever wanted blue.

[Kaito's heart is a crime scene – messy and no one can quite figure out the trick.]

This is his big rebellion.

He waits, and he charms his way into the heart of his biggest critic. It takes time – precious timings that he's had to set off, and Kaito convinces himself that if he can get Hakuba to love him, then he really is loveable.

It is with subtle movements. Slowly cutting off the pranks centred only him – 'Don't you know boys only pick on those they like?' - small smiles whenever the other talks about time in such a precise way – 'because I like knowing exactly where I stand'.

Hakuba chases him to the end of a corridor during one heist, having led the KID taskforce up to the roof – why do they think he needs to be on the roof to escape? -and he pauses behind him, just long enough for Kaito to turn from where he's removing a window from it's frame.

“You made it easy for me to follow you.” Hakuba says, and there is confusion there.

Kaito turns, folds the wings of his hang-glider back into his cape, and offers a wide smile. Maybe he's made it easy to be followed, but Hakuba's made it easy for him to get away, escorting the police to the wrong area.

Their romance ends with a hurricane. There is talk of falling, and like a storm, it's over almost as quickly as it starts. It's wild, uncontrollable, which – Kaito loves the irony of someone so controlled being so uncontrollable.

They stand at the window of the heist, and Kaito talks about falling.

He's not sure whether he likes the feeling, so he tests it, stepping back out of the window and preparing himself for the free fall.

[They all love him for being someone else; they never love him for just being Kaito.]

It all ends with Aoko.

She calls out to him from where he's climbed to the roof of his house – something she hates him doing, but never quite tells him off for doing. He makes his way down, glances at her before turning away. She puts a hand on his shoulder and waits.

She knows about all the heartbreak – she knows him. She always has. And maybe that's why he's so uncertain when it comes to loving her, because she knows all about Kaito but she remains unknowing of KID.

He turns back, and their eyes meet for a moment. He can see longing, both on his end and hers, for a second. Then, it's over, just like that.

“No,” Aoko says firmly, and Kaito understands. Of course he understands. They may be in love with one another but neither is ready for what a relationship will bring. They are not ready to bridge the ever growing distance between them, not mature enough to face the other's secrets with them.

He smiles, self pitying. All he's done is attempt to find a substitute for her, and what does he get for it? Conflicted feelings and a best friend who won't kiss him.

“One day,” Aoko says, turning away before either can start the long-due conversation.

And the cycle repeats.

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