#anyway shinichi and hakuba terrorizing kaito together

[detshin]

Bonus:

[manchasama]

Mayonaka Chapter 8 (incomplete)

And here it is, the last of it that was ever written,  I couldn’t quite handle the 10K chapters solo back then (maybe not now either!), hence why it stalled out.  Here we go:

Pairing:  Kaito/Shinichi, eventually and sorta right off, too. Warnings:  Male/Male relationship, Super Angst, AU, repeat-fic, round-robin writing, and no assurance that anything makes sense. Author for Chapter:  Dragon-sama with guest appearances by White Mage Koorii

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Chapter 08 Kaito: Mystery of You

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It was hard, very hard for Kaito to force his legs to keep moving away from Shinichi.  He barely registered Aoko's complaints, nor Hakuba's tugs to free his own arm from Kaito's grasp.  It was easy enough to drag the two along, anyway.

His arms and chest were burning where they'd touched the dark haired detective, and he wished with all his heart he could just attribute it to his stupid, stupid crush.  But the suffocating desire to follow after Shinichi had nothing to do with any feelings of romance.  Instead, it stemmed from all his frustration, terror, and confusion that he'd been pushing back for days, and even from before he'd woken up in this parody of a life.

He hadn't been able to just sit down with Shinichi, make sure the other was alright, reassure himself that it wasn't a dream, that Shinichi was his Shinichi.  All the time spent with the detective was spent either too emotionally charged, or was interrupted by other people.  And now, just when they had a moment of peace, and despite how limiting having his friends along would have been, Shinichi was called away again.

He abruptly halted, releasing his friends as he crouched down and dug his hands into his hair in frustration.  He didn't care what they thought right now, though he could guess.  Kaito knew he was being selfish, but he was so close to just pulling out his phone, calling Shinichi and begging that they run away now, back to their isolated wandering.  At least then he'd always known where Shinichi was.  At least then he'd always known Shinichi would come back.  

He could feel the dark, suffocating unease welling up in the back of his mind that he was so very desperate to forget, and seeing Shinichi alive and whole was the only thing that seemed to keep it back.

A blow to the back of his head sent him sprawling forward onto his hands and knees, and Kaito brought one hand up to clutch at the injury.

"Quit sitting around moping, BaKaito!" Aoko scolded, annoyance dripping from every word.  Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the black of Hakuba's pants, and knew by the haughty set of his stance that the detective was giving him one of those old, piercing glares.  He froze for a moment, his breath caught in his chest as his head rang with conflicting threads of remembered fragments of conversations with his friends.  

Aoko had become a perceptive young woman as she grew, most likely in defense to his unwillingness to share his real thoughts in any obvious way.  She'd learned patience, and when not to pay attention to his dramatics, and when to just sit companionably together.  The immediate violence Aoko had resorted to rattled him more than he anticipated.  His Aoko would have tried coaxing and teasing a reaction out of him, willing to play Kaito's game for at least a while before her infamous temper took hold.

Hakuba's silence was almost as cutting as Aoko's outburst.  The biting sarcasm, always tinged with some level of exasperation, that had become such a part of the half Brit's very character was missing.  Instead the air was filled with a mistrustful aura, suspicion drilling into the back of Kaito's skull.

But the game didn't stop just because the rules weren't what he was expected.  It was a world where he was used to making his own guidelines and knowing how the players would react, and now he felt at a loss as to what he was supposed to do, how he was supposed to perform, who he was supposed to be.  His act was failing, and he wasn't sure he could carry the crowd any more.

He forced himself to his feet, pulled a smiling poker face to the front, and pushed all feeling as far down as he could.  The numbness, the absence of true emotion, was almost comforting, and so much better than the spiraling despair that seemed endless and suffocating.

"Geeze Aoko!  Can't a guy have a moment of existential angst in peace?"  The words dripped from his lips like honey, but the taste in his mouth was ash.  He didn't want to be here anymore.  He wanted to go home.  Kaito dug his fingernails into his palms, trying to ground himself with the tiny pin pricks of pain.  He wanted Shinichi.

Aoko rolled her eyes at his melodramatics, sideling behind and around Kaito so she could link her arms with both his and Hakuba's.  Hakuba's steely glare faltered at the touch, and Kaito wished he could feel amused at the obviously flustered teen.  Aoko guided the trio forward, though he wondered if she had any destination in mind now that they presumably weren't heading to the café until Shinichi was free.

"Honestly, how is it that Kudou-kun doesn't know about your crush yet?  You're as obvious as a love sick…a love sick Kaito," Aoko accused, tilting her head up to grin at him.  "It's not like everyone at school was being subtle."  A pang of muffled pain at the accusation slid down his spine, the blaring reminder that Shinichi wasn't there sliding like oil across his nerves, and he let it go so he could give his friend a sardonic grin.

"Aoko, Shinichi may be a genius, but he's worse than an elementary kid when it comes to social interactions," he said, allowing fondness to lace his voice and cover his guilt.  Because Shinichi relied on him to guide them through the human contact, and he knew he had failed spectacularly at that today, leaving Shinichi floundering in a superfluous situation neither of them needed right now.

He pushed the self-recriminating thoughts away, knowing they wouldn't do him any good now or ever.  'What ifs' and 'I should haves' were pointless exercises for the insecure and remorseful, and he was neither of those.  Shinichi would come back, and all he had to do was hold it together an hour at a time.

"Hardly a trait a 'great detective' should be proud of," Hakuba said snidely, and Kaito could hear the inverted commas clang into place.  He wondered where the antagonism for Shinichi had come from, but Hakuba obviously had a bone to pick.  It didn't take a great leap of logic to know that Shinichi's outburst earlier had rubbed Hakuba in all the wrong ways.  

But it was getting tiresome even faster than Hakuba's accusations ever had.  At least then there was the thrill of the possibility of being caught, and the challenge of working his way out of trouble again.  This just made him want to haul back and hit Hakuba.

"Yes, social ineptitude seems to be a common trait amongst law enforcers, I noticed.  Imagine, dressing up as a fictional character every time you go into work?  I mean, who does that, except for maybe actors?" Kaito scoffed, flourishing his free hand to emphasize the absurdity of the suggestion.  Aoko jabbed him in the ribs, bony elbow connecting solidly enough to knock a grunt out of him.

"Be nice you two," she warned, using her hold on their arms to tug them closer.  Kaito pressed sideways into her, pushing her against Hakuba as well.  It was what he figured would be a playful response to her jab as well as a surefire way to fluster the blond.  She was soft against his side, shorter, not as curvy as he remembered, and his body was different as well.  They didn't fit together like they used to, and the strong presence, his stolid, dependable friend wasn't there to support him.  

It left a bitter tang of disappointment in his mouth, and he let Aoko shove him hard away from her, her face flushed as she hit him in embarrassment.  The lingering warmth at his side mocked him, reminding him again of all that he lost.  Hadn't he put this behind him?  Why wouldn't the memories stay locked away?

"Why don't you like Kudou-kun, Hakuba-kun?" Aoko asked, releasing Hakuba's arm as well to walk briskly between them.  Her brow furrowed, and she seemed oblivious to Hakuba's mouth twisting in a slight gesture of disappointment.  "He's a detective like you, so shouldn't you get along?" she continued, lacing her hands in front of her and tilting her head up again to regard him.  

It was one of her sweetly innocent looks, one that he knew she used when she suspected the answer, but wanted to coerce you into telling her yourself.  In his eyes, it was one of her more obvious tells, but she had always been so vibrant, so natural and straightforward that it wasn't the weakness it could have been.  It probably helped that the sun was shining vibrantly, striking her hair and bringing out the russet undertones to it.  Aoko was all sunshine and brightness, and it had always been hard to resist her smile.

Against Hakuba, it was very effective.  He turned his head away from her stare, focusing his gaze straight ahead and looking rather like he had just sucked on a lemon.  It took a moment, but at last he began to speak.

"He is arrogant," he began slowly.  "He believes that solving a few cases makes him an authority, that it's a great popularity game."  He spat the last word as if it were vile.  

Kaito raised his eyebrows in not-quite feigned surprise.  Hakuba wasn't the most diplomatic when it came to criminals either.  He hadn't had the chance to experience it in person, but he'd done his research, and knew Hakuba was famous for ripping apart the criminal's tricks, then demanding their motive.  Knowing firsthand how doggedly Hakuba pursued his justice, Kaito had to admit it would probably be as impressive as it was cruel.

"He doesn't question their purpose, what would drive a man to commit such a heinous crime," Hakuba continued, staring at his feet now as they walked along.  "Doesn't try to understand their motives, how they think, so as to be better prepared to prevent the next tragedy, rather than cleaning up the mess."

Aoko watched him quietly, looking worried but open, always so open and receptive.  The crowd flowed around them, clothes rustling as they brushed the occasional passerby, feet tapping rhythmically on the pavement in step.  Kaito noticed, as he had long ago, that Hakuba's steps were perfectly timed, never an arrhythmic pause between one shoe hitting the ground and the other.  

"He merely basks in the attention, takes advantage of the media to spread his paper-thin fame across the country, in a way he doesn't deserve," Hakuba finished, looking pointedly over Aoko's head to level Kaito with a challenging stare.  

Kaito didn't bother acknowledging the look, idly pulling out a couple of rice-filled juggling sacks and tossing them in one hand.  Was Hakuba referring to Shinichi's old behavior, or was he making yet another attack at Kaito being Kid?  Probably both, he decided.  

It was a pale reflection of the word games he used to play with Hakuba.   Often times he never knew if the detective was trying to help him, providing him with information that allowed Kid to slip away from a tight corner, or if he was gathering more evidence to damn him to a life in prison.  Kaito always made sure that he treated such encounters with delicacy, but it was always a thrill and an annoyance to walk the thin line of Hakuba's morality versus friendship.

He still felt oddly numb, the anger at Hakuba's accusations of Shinichi buzzing like insects in the back of his mind, but it was hard to focus.  The need to abandon his two companions and chase after Shinichi made his skin crawl and his teeth clench, but he hid it all behind his poker face, focusing on the simple rhythm of tossing the two sacks in his hand, one arching up, the other following just as the first reached the apex of its toss, so it was an endless circle in the air.

"It's a human need, to be acknowledged," he murmured, eyes tracking the movements his hand was making.   He drew out a third sack, engaging his other hand as he started the more traditional juggling routine.  One, two, three, the sacks passed through his hands in an unceasing, hypnotic movement.

"Babies cry to get their needs met, from a lack of ability to fend for themselves, to communicate in a concise manner, to withstand discomfort."  He began switching one of the sacks out with a bright yellow squishy ball, so that every other loop had the flash of sunshine in the mix.

"As they grow older," he continued, now switching another of the sacks with a green ball, the loop flashing yellow and green and the off-white color of the sacks, "children stop needing parents to fulfill all their needs, and instead test all their boundaries, figuring out what's right, wrong, what's allowed, what's beautiful, fair, necessary."  

He blew out a breath, watching his bangs flutter up, seeming to pay no attention to his hands at all.  Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Hakuba's incredulous expression, and Aoko's pensive frown.

"Even adults crave acknowledgement," he said, fixing them with a weak grin as he tried to call up humor at the situation.  A blue ball was substituted for the final sack, and now it appeared the loop was changing color, yellow, green, blue, then a line of white, before the color returned.  "They spend their wealth on frivolous luxuries, they pander to their friends even at the expense of themselves or others, they begrudge those who have more than they do.  Even religions are a cosmic way of saying 'I matter!  Pay attention to me!', whether from society or a perceived deity."

"Sometimes," he said quietly, catching and tucking away his juggling implements, "we get so caught up in the race to be somebody, that we forget the meaning behind our actions.  Sometimes, it takes a life hitting you hard to remind us how small we are.  Sometimes…we make mistakes."  

He stopped abruptly in the middle of the sidewalk, causing Aoko to swerve off the main pedestrian path and Hakuba to stumble around a hurrying business man.  Fixing the blond with a hard look, Kaito wondered if he wasn't saying too much.  He did ramble occasionally, but surely Shinichi would…Kaito bit the inside of his cheek again in aggravation, forging ahead recklessly.

"But you know, I don't think we should be judged by our mistakes.  We may have to do what is necessary, what others perceive as wrong, in order to do what we know is right."

"The words of a criminal," Hakuba spat, expression a combination of triumph and disgust.  "Trying to justify crime with motives.  Do you know how many stories I've heard?  Murders, rapists, thieves, all claiming morality to their deeds.  You think you're better than any of them?" he demanded.  Aoko bristled next to the blond, mouth already opening in sharp reprimand, but Kaito was faster.

He slammed Hakuba against the wall of the nearby building, eyes wild as he snarled, "I do not murder!  Don't you dare suggest such a thing, you bastard!"  

Hakuba's hands clawed at Kaito's where they gripped the blond's gakuran, but Kaito didn't even notice.  His vision was filled with red and resigned blue eyes, and he could feel the hysterical scream building in his throat.  He fought it down through will power alone, trying desperately to pull himself together.   Where was Shinichi?  Was it all a dream?  Had he really gone insane?

He sensed the presence nearing him.  He twisted, catching Aoko's hand that had been reaching to pull him away from Hakuba, his grip bruising against her fragile arm.  She let out a yelp of pain, and he immediately dropped her arm as if burned, backing away from both of his friends, arms in front of him to ward them away.

"Don't touch me!" he said hoarsely, unable to shake the feeling of enemies everywhere.  It had been so long since he had walked the streets without disguise, without worry, and now it felt like the gun was pointed right at his chest.  He flinched as the commotion called people's attention to the trio, their gazes settling heavily on him.

"The truth hurts, is that it, Kuroba?" Hakuba coughed, rubbing his throat and glaring daggers right back at Kaito.

"Stop it, both of you!" Aoko shrieked, stomping her foot angrily.  "Hakuba, how dare you suggest such a thing!  Even if you can't be friends, he is my friend, and I trust Kaito with my life!  And you Kaito, what is wrong with you?" she demanded, panting from her furious outburst.  He gaped a bit at her childish reaction.  Stomping her foot?  Was she sixteen or six?

"Hey, what's going on here?" a deep voice boomed, and Kaito twisted around to see two police officers pushing through the rubber-necking crowd toward the trio.  He gulped in a deep breath, then another, then released it gently, and amenable grin stretching across his face.  It was easier to call his poker face back, when it wasn't his friends pulling at his heart.  

Aoko turned around red-faced, either from embarrassment or lingering anger Kaito wasn't sure, and Hakuba straightened up respectfully, his own wounded pride pulled around him like a cloak.

"Ah, our apologies, keiji-san," Kaito said smoothly at the scowling men, ignoring Hakuba's sharp glare.  "I'm afraid we got a bit heated in our argument."

"Isn't that Aoko-chan?" the other office asked, raising his eyebrows at the girl.  

She looked relieved at the interruption as she said, "Hello Yamano-keiji, Shiramoto-keiji."

"Is everything okay?" the first officer, Shiramoto Genji now that Kaito took a moment to recognize the members of his old taskforce, asked.  Shiramoto's eyebrows raised as he took in the disheveled Aoko, the ruffled Hakuba, and the glibly smiling Kaito.  His eyes lit up as his gaze rested on the latter, and Kaito resisted the urge to stiffen.  The man was part of his taskforce, after all, so it was a natural reaction along with his frayed nerves.  "Ah, it's Kuroba-kun, isn't it?  Thanks for helping us out with the heist last month."

"Oh?" Tamano perked up too, grinning at Kaito.  "Yeah.  It's too bad Kid still got away, but your advice really helped out.  The Keibu was livid all the same, though."

Kaito wracked his brain, trying to think through the lingering fog of fury and fear.  He was still unnerved that Hakuba's words had sent him into such a hysterical reaction, and he didn't like that he wasn't in control anymore.  Not even the implied insult against Shinichi shook him up that much, but he didn't have time to contemplate why at the moment.

He did recall what the two officers were talking about.  ��Nakamori had been harangued by his superiors for a lack of progress against Kid, since it had been a while since the taskforce had even gotten close.  Aoko had tried her best to keep her father in high spirits, but the strain had been wearing on her too, until Kaito couldn't stand to sit still anymore.  There was nothing Kid could do, short of giving a bad performance, and everyone involved would recognize the fact that the thief wasn't trying his best.  

Instead, Kaito had dropped a few subtle hints in Aoko's ear, which gave her the bright idea to call Kaito in as a magician consultant.  She badgered Nakamori until he reluctantly agreed.  Kaito had been careful that next heist, so that the advice of 'high school magician Kaito' had born fruit, giving Kid a few close calls.  

Not only had it lit a new fire in Nakamori, but his superiors had backed off, Aoko had cheered up, and Kaito now had the reputation for good advice on the heists.  He'd anticipated more consultations, and hadn't been disappointed, which opened up some otherwise impossible targets for him to acquire.  Sometime even Kid needed an insider, and who better to perform that task than himself?

"Ah, it was no problem," Kaito said airily, bringing one hand to his chest as he gave a short bow of acceptance of the praise.  He felt the old habit of wanting to perform a trick to follow his minor dramatics, but his mind was still in chaos, and he couldn't even think up the simplest routine to fit the situation.  It had been too long since he'd been able to perform his magic in public, and with all his instinct twanging from his time as a fugitive, he didn't feel comfortable even attempting anything.  Maybe if Shinichi had been there…

"What 'help'?" Hakuba asked suspiciously, frowning in confusion.

"You were in England at the time," Aoko explained.  Kaito could still see that her brow was still creased in worry, but she smiled all the same.  He wondered, suddenly, if this wasn't her own version of the poker face.   "I asked Tou-chan to let Kaito help out.  He's the best magician I know, and that idiot Kid prides himself on his stupid tricks, so I thought it wouldn't hurt to try," she shrugged self-consciously, glaring mildly at Kaito as if to warn him not to let her praise go to his head.

"It was a stroke of genius, Aoko-chan!" Shiramoto guffawed cheerfully, reaching an arm out to pound Kaito on the back.  Kaito pretended not to notice the motion as he stepped away from the man, so instead Shiramoto clapped Aoko on the shoulder.  Aoko shot Kaito a look at the dodge, clearly not impressed, to which he wrinkled his nose mockingly, causing her to stick out her tongue at him.  

The two officers sniggered at the exchange, in a manner Kaito recognized as amusement at the 'inevitable couple'.  He bit his tongue, remembering exactly how bad that had fallen apart today.  Pushing it out of his mind, he turned his attention back to Hakuba.  He remembered how the blond had taken the news the first time around, and was curious to see if it would turn out the same now.

"You let Kuroba onto a heist?" Hakuba asked weakly, clearly not believing the absurdity of the situation.  "You let him advise you on what Kid would do?"

"Now Hakuba-kun, you're the only one who still thinks…" Aoko began sternly, but was cut off as Hakuba began to laugh.  It started out small, a few chuckles as Hakuba closed his eyes, grin tugging at his lips.  He dropped he head against the palm of one hand as his shoulder shook, voice filled with something Kaito couldn't quite identify.  It wasn't mirth, but it wasn't bitterness or anger.

Did you have fun? Kaito thought, as Hakuba's laughter trailed off.

"Did you have fun?" Hakuba asked, fingers still splayed across his face, though Kaito could see the glint of hazel eyes peeking through.  He felt a pang of relief.  It wasn't the exact situation as the first time through, but clearly it would take more than a violent breakdown to change reality.  He frowned inwardly, knowing that it also meant it wouldn't be easy to change anything deliberately either.

"It was an interesting experience," he replied, same as he had last time.  Hakuba shook his head, letting his hand drop to his side again.  "I wouldn't mind working with the law again, though," he added, just to see if he could garner a different reaction from the blond.

Hakuba shot him a sardonic look.  "I'm sure Kudou-kun will be thrilled to hear that," he said dryly.  

To Kaito's astonishment, he actually felt his face flush at the retort.  The familiarity of the reaction, so similar to how his Hakuba would act, a combination of sarcasm and teasing delivered in that tone of voice, took him by surprise.  And it was much different than the interrogation he'd received last time, Hakuba wanting to know all the details of that particular heist.  Thinking back on it, Kaito was surprised that Hakuba hadn't heard all about it already.  He was usually on top of everything Kid related.

"Kudou-kun?" Yamano echoed, looking curiously between the two teens.  "Don't tell me you picked up another girl, Kuroba-kun.  Aoko-chan will be heartbroken!" he teased, elbowing his partner as he laughed.  Shiramoto elbowed him back, but looked contemplative.

"Kudou…you don't mean Kudou Shinichi, do you?" he asked, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"The one and only," Kaito said brightly.  "Detective extraordinaire, all around apathetic guy, and a brilliant cook when he feels like it."

"Kudou-kun just transferred to our school.  He and Kaito 'know' each other," Aoko said, grinning gleefully as Kaito rolled his eyes at her.

"You make it sound like they're dating," Yamano guffawed, still riding on his own wit.

Kaito could see exactly where this was going, and resisted the urge to flip Aoko's skirt to distract her.  While he could get away with that when it was just the two of them, or in a room full of peers, he somehow felt that two full grown police officers who worked for her father would have much less of a sense of humor for tricks like that.  He thought furiously, trying to anticipate how the next few minutes would go so he could do some damage control.  

Sure enough… "Kaito wishes they were," Aoko said brightly.  Why did she have to be such a child?  Yamano's grin was fading rapidly, and Shiramoto wasn't looking any happier.

"What's this?  I thought you and Aoko were practically dating already," Shiramoto said slowly, looking from one to the other.

"You're gay?" Yamamoto blurted out, mouth twisting in distaste.  

Kaito sighed.  While his school was so used to Kaito being Kaito, society wasn't nearly as forgiving.  Aoko clearly didn't think past her own glee at being right, and having something to tease Kaito with.  

"We're not—" Aoko started, but he gave up all pretense of patience as he clamped a hand over her mouth.  She shot him a startled look, and he fought a wince at the flash of fear in her eyes.  She wasn't sure anymore that he wouldn't lash out unexpectedly, and that hurt.

"Everyone except Aoko, it seems, though that we were practically dating," he said reflectively.  "I know I did.  And I don't know about being gay," he added blandly, staring Yamano in the eye.  That one could be trouble, if he really couldn't handle the idea of homosexuality.  Kaito didn't particularly care if a few people shunned him for who he cared for, but the problem was thanks to Aoko, Shinichi was also a target.  

"The only person I've ever been attracted to is Aoko," he continued.  He felt her gasp against his hand, and wondered why she was so surprised.  While she'd had some fanciful idea that he was in denial, wasn't she the only one he'd ever showered his affection on, despite the teasing?  "And Shinichi…" he trailed off.

He hated thinking it, the very thought was painful and made his heart hammer and his head ache, but he needed Aoko especially to back off about Shinichi.  It wouldn't do for Shinichi to get wind of it, because if he did, Kaito feared the detective would disappear.  He was good, but he also knew he'd never be able to find Shinichi if the other teen didn't want to be found.  Shinichi had twelve lifetimes of experiences to draw on, and he hadn't even shared a fraction of that with Kaito.  The thought was both lonely, and terrifying.

"It doesn't matter anyway," he continued, swallowing hard and staring unseeingly at the two officers.  "Shinichi has this girl at…"  He didn't bother finishing.  It wasn't their business, and he'd explained enough.  He released Aoko, turning on his heel and running a hand through his hair.  Hakuba was giving him a sympathetic look, which annoyed Kaito.  What did the blond know, anyway?

"But…he's here with you, isn't he?" came Aoko's quiet retort from behind him.  He closed his eyes, feeling tears pricking at them as her comment hit him straight in the heart.  How was she always able to get past his defenses, able to pick at what hurt the most?  Shinichi wasn't here with him, and Kaito wanted to scream at the unfairness.

"It's not a big deal, you know," Yamano said nervously, obviously having picked up on the tension.  He was obviously trying to make amends for his quick slip of the tongue.  "You can like a guy, or girl, or whatever, right Shiramoto?"

"I don't want to know what you mean by 'whatever'," Shiramoto said dryly.  

Kaito snorted, feeling rather ill from the emotional turmoil the last twenty minutes, hell the last few days, had wrung from him.  It was supposed to be his job to break the tension when things got bad, and he was failing at that.  It was probably mean spirited, completely inadvisable, and going to bite him in the ass later, but he was tired of feeling like crap.  Plus, he didn't feel like answering Aoko's naïve question.

"I think the best solution to this whole problem would be for me to just give in and date Aoko, don't you think?" he asked glibly, grinning roguishly at the two officers.  Hakuba had been respectfully silent up to this point, but Kaito saw jealousy and anger flash across his face.  

"What do you say, Aoko darling~?" he cooed, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and nuzzling her hair.  "Go out with me?" he stage whispered in her ear.

"Kuroba!  Get off her, you imbecile!" Hakuba demanded, stepping forward and looking ready to physically pry him off of her.  Shiramoto was laughing, while Yamano smiled nervously, obviously still unsure about the situation.  As for Aoko…

"Kaito!" she bellowed, twisting out of his grip.  Her face was cherry red with embarrassment and anger, and yay she'd forgotten all about Shinichi.  He quickly ducked as she swung her bag at him so hard she spun a full turn around, narrowly missing Hakuba's face in her fury.  Kaito chortled, but had to cut his apparent amusement short as Aoko went on the war path, trying with all her strength to smash his face in with her school bag.

He noticed tears at the corner of Aoko's eyes, and wondered idly if he'd gone a bit too far.  It was petty revenge, but he wondered bitterly how she felt, being told something she wanted so badly to hear yet knowing how false the sentiment was.

"Ah!  Help me officers!  There's a wild maniac trying to kill me!" he yelped, grabbing Hakuba and twisting to put the blond between him and his infuriated friend.  In the same movement he tugged Hakuba backward as well, so Aoko's next swing didn't knock the wind out of him, instead whistling past harmlessly.  Kaito didn't really need Hakuba sent to the hospital because of him, after all.

"Let me go Kuroba," Hakuba growled, eyeing the panting Aoko warily.  She'd stopped her angry advance after that final swing, but Kaito knew she was by no means mollified.

"I'd say it's a clear case of self defense against a sexual deviant," Shiramoto said gravely, grinning toothily at Kaito over Hakuba's shoulder.  Kaito threw him a wounded look, inwardly weary of the entire charade.  He had promised Shinichi he'd go after him if he took too long.  Surely it had been long enough to warrant a rescue mission.

"Hey now, Aoko-chan.  Your father would have our heads if we have to report to him his daughter murdered her…ah, friend, in broad daylight," Yamano added.  Aoko sent Kaito a look that promised a great deal of violence and retribution later, knuckles white around the handle of her bag.  But she turned haughtily away, sniffing and dismissing him for now.

"I'm sure Tou-chan would be overjoyed I'd taken out such a thorn in his side," she said dismissively.  Kaito felt a flash of amusement at his friend's innocent pun.  If only she know how much of a thorn he was to the keibu.

"I'm surprised to see you two on the streets, though," Aoko said thoughtfully, deliberately changing the subject.  Her face was still flushed, though no one was about to risk pointing that out.  "I can't believe Tou-chan let you out of the office with a heist so soon."  The officers exchanged sheepish glances.

"It's amazing how bad the acoustics in that building are," Shiramoto said airily, tapping his nose conspiratorially.  "I never heard the Keibu make a peep all day, so me and Yamano-kun here decided to go out on patrol."

"Since it was so peaceful, it seemed like the most productive thing to do," Yamano agreed glibly.

"In other words you two snuck out when Tou-chan was yelling at someone else," Aoko said, rolling her eyes at the pair.  They didn't even have the decency to look repentant.

"Well, it's not like we all don't know the drill by now," Shiramoto said, shrugging. "And it's a good thing we did, eh Kuroba-kun?  Can't have our best secret weapon found bludgeoned in a gutter somewhere, right?"  He chuckled at his rather tasteless joke.

"Yeah, ha, I'll keep in mind your unconditional worry for my safety," Kaito deadpanned.

"You may be a smart, kid, but you ain't my boss' daughter!" Shiramoto grinned wolfishly.

Kaito opened his mouth to show him just how well he could imitate his 'boss' daughter', but cut off as he instinctively stepped back from the elbow Aoko tried to plunge into his gut.  His nerves won out as he took an even further step away from her, though he covered his slip with an innocent smile in her direction.  Anyone would think he was just trying to avoid another hit, anyway.

He was thankful Aoko did stop him, however.  It wasn't good to flaunt his similar abilities to Kid right in front of his taskforce, after all.  They may like Kaito the high schooler, but they were all just as dogged as Nakamori when it came to catching Kid.  There was a rumor that Nakamori would wear a white suit to interview prospective officers, and anyone who didn't instantly tackle him wasn't even considered.

(to be expanded or removed)

"Do you know what an eidetic memory is, Hakuba-kun?" Kaito asked.  "Can you imagine, not being able to forget, to be able to recall in perfect clarity the sight, smell, taste, the experience?"  He drew his hand across his arm, one of his sharp edged cards dragging across his skin, leaving a trail of red.  The blood welled up from the wound, but Kaito couldn't even feel the pain.  "Can you imagine being able to recall exactly how far the blood splattered?  The warm feeling of it dripping down your face?  The sight of eyes going dead right in front of you?"  

Hakuba was staring in horror at the red rivulets dripping off of Kaito's arm, hypnotized by the rhythmic words.  Kaito brought a hand across his arm, the wound vanishing, blood nowhere to be seen.  He turned away.  "No, I won't tell you what happened."

"I'll find out.  Don't underestimate my contacts," Hakuba retorted hoarsely.  Kaito scoffed internally; Hakuba wouldn't find anything, true, because there was nothing to be found.  But to keep his cover, Kaito had to come up with a good explanation why.

"I will give you one reason why you will fail to find my name in association with any recent crime on record or off," Kaito said lowly.  Hakuba waited expectantly, while Kaito wracked his brain.  Hakuba was looking for a lie, so he had to tell him a complete truth.  And he had just the thing.  

"C.I.A."  Chronologically Immortal Advancement.  It was the best he could do on short notice, and it had the general tone of the predicament Kaito found himself in.  Plus the look on Hakuba's face was very much worth it.

***

Turning to Kaito, and looking a bit mischievous she murmured, “If I didn't know how you felt I might have....”

Kaito, already tracking the blue eyed teen's movement sighed softly, “Wouldn't matter anyway. He has this girl at...” he trailed off, not wanting to say it, or think of it. Pasting a grin on his face he bounced after Shinichi.

Aoko, staring at him, blinked then murmured, “Yes, but he's here with you isn't he?” even though Kaito would never hear her.

***

"I simply found it amazing that you of all people would be on such friendly terms him. You really do like living on the edge, don't you? Unless he knows something, of course. In which case..."

***

“Why do you insist on calling me an idiot?  Hasn’t it been proven that I’m just an unappreciated genius?”

"I appreciate your genius, but that doesn't mean you aren't an idiot."

Mayo Shinichi is like a living, breathing, walking, talking puzzle box

Rie Bassett: XDD

sama1827: Pandora's box.  All that's left is hope, but you have to coax it out.  ....No wonder Kaito's so fixated on him