#the BEST dcmk fic

[redrobin-detective]

6 and 8 for the fic writer ask? hope you’re having a nice day!

6. Are there any fics from others you reread all the time?

Oh so so many. To name a few ooff the top of my head: journey to the past by aloneintherain, Billy Batson and the Troubles of Work-Life Balance by rockerrema13, A Difference of Perspective by town_without_heart, Complicated Creation by Elemental, Reichenbach series by athena_crikey, Another Brother by avocadolove, Our capacity for love increases with each person we cross paths with by Iriascend, Masks/Plunge by Cordria, While Mighty Oaks Do Fall by WitchofEndor and my one FF only fic that hasn't updated in a decade but I'll love until I die, Fallout by the SIlversage

(omg this is so much i just went through my bookmarks and picked fics I know I've read at least 15 times)

8. What project(s) are you currently working on?

A long Lockwood and co fic, it's called A Fools' Journey and uses tarot major arcana to explore the agency with a ghostly extra member. It's consuming all my creative energy rn.

[kakapim]

Unpopular opinion but I actually do like the concept of Kaito and Shin being cousins, I prefer that over the shipping. What actually pisses me off is Toichi being alive. I want to kill that old fucker

[the-red-thread-that-strangles]

AkAm Sweater AU masterpost

NEW: also on AO3

Because all the links are broken now that I changed my username we're redoing things and just putting them into chronological order, that's probably less confusing

The Original Sin (The Tea Party sweater theft)

Intermission I: Petty Thieves

Akai family revelations (Part 1/Part 2/Part 3)

Rei realizes he has a problem™

The Last Briefing

The Immediate Aftermath

Dinner for Two

Akai Shuuichi and the mortifying ordeal of being known

Operation Campfire (Part 1/Part 2/Part 3)

Bonus thoughts, loosely canon to this AU until they're incorporated properly:

Akai family shenaniganry

Hiding in plain sight, if one is optimistic and can look up (so, not one Furuya Rei)

Alternate end to Part 1 of Operation Campfire

Rei's non-existent relationship history

[sinfulsachi]

Hiiii. How about some thigh fucking? It's knows that Shinichi loves Ran's legs, so it has got to happen. He can't stop staring and Ran shouldn't really feel this hot and bothered about the way he looks at her but she does. The make-out sessions are no longer enough now, they need more, so they go for it.

The timestamp of this ask is April 10, 2021 I am laughing as I type this. Please anon appreciate me, I tried after 3.5 years HAHAHA Couldn't get this request out of my head from the moment it entered my inbox three (3) years ago lmao. I labeled this post as mature, for obvious reasons :)

 絶対領域 || Absolute Territory (ShinRan)

.

.

Kudou Shinichi has a tendency of blaming the universe for things beyond his control.

It only happens rarely, for Kudou Shinichi doesn’t bow down to fate, fate bows down to Kudou Shinichi. He’ll carve a solution against all odds. How many times has he cheated death?

But at this very moment, he is resigned to the thought that the universe is to blame for everything that led to here.

He blames the universe for having been born Japanese, lived in the same neighborhood, entered the same kindergarten as this girl turned girlfriend a good twelve years later.

He blames the universe for the abnormal surge of cases in Tokyo that consequently robs the girlfriend’s father’s time in the apartment, leaving him and her alone ‘til sunset.

Blames the universe for spring, because flowy skirts.

Blames the universe for summer for limiting her wardrobe choice to nothing but shorts, shorts, and short shorts.

Blames the universe for autumn, because thigh-high stockings.

Blames the universe or whoever created it for creating teenage hormones so rebellious, so perilously out of his control especially when he gets so much a peek of her skin. Just skin, the fuck. How else if more than that.

All these and more run in his mind while the girlfriend nestles between his legs doing homework under the kotatsu.

Naturally, he blames the universe for this moment.

Winter is a bitch, sweaters and heater aren’t enough. Mouri Ran suggests huddling. Now he levels with her nape, long hair conveniently let on one side. She scribbles notes with no care in the world while he inwardly chants a prayer. This is it. This is his demise.

He blames the universe for the aching hard-on in his pants.

But he is Kudou Shinichi, and while he’ll flip the universe off, he'll make absolutely sure to do something about the situation he’s presented. Else, he dies.

There are many ways to deal with this without hurting anybody’s feelings. He can excuse himself and let the rage subside in the toilet. He can request they sit side by side instead. He can offer to get them a takeout snack from Poirot. Literally those ways.

But not pull her closer by the waist.

He really isn’t helping himself. It’s dumb, but at the same time it seems it’s all he can manage to do. He clears his throat, a harmless statement whispered in her ear, “Ran, can we please, uh. Take a break.”

Amidst the impatient rush of blood southwards, he maintains a safe distance, not too close she could hear the erratic beating in his chest, and not too far that when her head swivels sideways their noses brush. Distance still matters to him, lest this - whatever he's doing - startles her.

“Hm? But we just took one fifteen minutes ago.”

Ran catches Shinichi’s eyes drift to the direction of the bed and back. She can't read if that gesture intentionally hints on something, or just a slip of his guilty thoughts. His eyes are so near she catches the details of his blues, blended with a certain kind of struggle.

Her body becomes aware of a bulge against her lower back. Ran's pulse kicks up a step.

“Let’s keep warm over there, please,” Shinichi requests, a hint of mild desperation in his tone.

When it takes her a while to reply, he notices his mistake. So much for devising ways to deal with hormones without offending anyone's feelings. With his last sane braincell, he wills himself to scoot further back, "No worries if you don't wanna! Though I k-kinda need to lie down a bit, Ran, haha, so—"

The disentanglement is halted when she holds his arms firm around her waist. Ran refuses to budge under the kotatsu. Instead, she clings onto the cuffs of his sleeve, startling him.

"Shinichi, um. But we're already quite comfortable here, don't you think?"

Like hell it is. Shinichi needs to break away. He can already sense himself growing by the second, exponentially so with the way she tilts her chin to face him fully, something he hasn’t seen before dancing in her eyes. Half mast, dilated, cozy and— and almost bedroomy.

What! Is she doing!

Shinichi's hands slide down her hips involuntarily. They stay in the kotatsu, plane of her back resting against his pecs through the hoodie. Everything is dangerously still. He gives her hips a light squeeze, she doesn't protest. He inches close, she presses near. "The hell, Ran..." He skims the line of her shoulder with his lips.

What! Is he doing!

He's acting on pure impulse now, the set of sane braincells in his head overpowered by the braincells of another one. A total defeat. God he's such a man.

And it maddens him so because not one bit does Ran seem to mind, whispering a light ‘should be fine here, right?’ when they're eye to eye. Shinichi nods in complete obedience. He swallows his nerves away, then closes the distance between their lips in one swift motion.

Inside his brain, the little Shinichi with pitchforks rejoices.

Perhaps the liplock is too earnest that a few minutes in, Ran finds her hips moving on its own, attention brought once more to the press of that bulge against her back. They part only for Ran to surge in again, denying them a moment to breathe.

Her hand creeps up behind, feeling the stiffness. She squeezes lightly. Shinichi groans in her mouth. No words are said, yet they seem to understand exactly what the other wants to do. She tugs on the garter of his joggers. His hands travel down her skirt, up her thigh. Shinichi loses his mind.

I'm going to hell, he thinks, as he finds his fingers trailing to the most heated part of her body. This isn't the first time. That's why he desires to get away at the earliest opportunity the moment he feels about to succumb to the universe's temptations, certain the day will end with his fingers buried in her, and she gasping in his arms. Exactly right now. Him stroking her above cotton, before slipping past it and slowly sliding in.

It frustrates him to feel this good hearing her moan his name, and it's only ever third base.

Only ever third base.

Shinichi blames the universe that he isn't yet married to Mouri Ran. Dear god, how the universe knows he's dying to fu—

He freezes at the cold touch of her hand slinking inside his boxers. Something inside him stirred. This is a first time. His fingers pause, his breath gets heavy. Ran breaks the kiss to look him in the eye, panting as she pulls his garments further down, "let's do it?"

Fuck.

Surprisingly, it's Shinichi who comes to senses first. "Do what exactly?", genuine inquiry seemingly asked in jest following a heated french in response to her straightforward request. Though clearly aware of what she’s insinuating, he needs to be absolutely certain of what stage they are about to do. Instead of giving verbal confirmation however, Ran doesn't stop stroking him, and Shinichi feels himself about to short circuit, making it worse when she adjusts the way she's seated to give her hand - and his fingers - more working space.

They are about to do it under the kotatsu.

Shinichi should be thanking the heavens right now, yet a part of him screams to save the end for a later time when they're older, readier. The sane side of him awakens, like a dying star in its last bursts of energy before imploding in on itself, just enough seconds to remind himself that he intends to take this step by step. There must be a way they can do it without doing it.

Hoisting Ran by the waist, Shinichi deposits her body slightly below his torso and leans back a bit. "Maybe we can..." The slight shift in position allows Ran to perch snug above him, legs between his outstretched ones. "Like this."

Ran appears reluctant to let go of her grasp, but in the new adjustment, she feels him against the underside of her thighs, rock hard. It only occurs to her what she just requested, and she flushes, suddenly hyperaware of the wild drumbeat inside her chest, the zero personal space. Her skin sensitive to the squeeze of his hand on her hip underneath her hoodie. His twitch beneath when his other hand finds purchase on the area between her skirt and overknee socks and begs her to 'open up a bit' and he groans her name, "Ran."

Dazed, Ran creates an opening. Shinichi slides himself in. Ran tightens the grip of her thighs. Shinichi moves.

It's like all the air is robbed out of his lungs.

How does he describe this sensation? He feels like a present, she the wrapper. "Been wondering 'bout this for a long time," is what he doesn't say aloud, as he looks over at the way her knees linked close, her upper thighs clamp. There is something sacred in the place where he enters her, an absolute territory he's actually been waiting to explore beyond sight. He's only ever stared in loaded silence, when she walks ahead, or climbs the stairs, or gets a book atop the shelf on tiptoes and skirt hiking up. Thoughts spurring in his subconscious going, what does it feel like to be trapped in there.

Unbeknownst to Shinichi, it's the singular best place to ever be. An absolutely fucking addicting territory to be in.

Ran squirms in place, unable to stray her eyes away from the rise and fall happening beneath her skirt. She needs to confirm that this strange hot activity with Shinichi is real. With shaky hands she lifts the hem of her skirt up and sees him. Wet on the tip. Protruding then disappearing. Rhythm synchronizing with the labored breath by her nape.

Overwhelmed by the budding heat in that area they create friction, she begins rolling her hips, matching his timing.

They are doing it under the kotatsu.

It drives Shinichi crazier when Ran requests to rise up to a kneeling position, her palms flat on the tabletop. They stay connected below, allowing him a more comfortable grip, a more open view of him thrusting between her thighs. Ran tips her head back and breathes the cutest moan when he picks up the pace. If he closes his eyes, he may actually believe they're doing it from behind, the sensation perhaps nearly tantamount to fucking her. And he might really seriously get to fuck her. Except that what they're doing now is already so damn hot neither wants to stop.

"Ah. You're—" something wet oozes slowly over him as he continues sliding in and out her thighs. Understanding what it is and what it means for his girlfriend is about enough to give him a heart attack. His hands enclose hers atop the kotatsu, sheathing and unsheathing faster, beads of sweat trickling down his forehead as he croaks out, "fucking warm, Ran".

He hasn't hung out in her room intending to do anything of this sort with Ran. It's just suddenly happened. And now he's afraid that once he finishes, he'll end up wanting more. The heat in him builds up, ever concentrated at the nerve ends of his shaft, desperately looking for where he can possibly do the unloading in the most respectful way. On the table. The fabric of her skirt. Her socks. Her thighs. He grits his teeth and inwardly curses.

Whatever the case is, he'll make a mess of her.

He blames the universe for how badly that turns him on.

Closing in, he warns Ran by the ear. "S'll be a lot," he says, and Ran, tongue-tied and keening, nods frantically. In a split second, Shinichi makes a decision - spilling over the table will ruin Ran's notes. So the final blow he does, painting the back of Ran's thighs, dribbling down the seam of her socks as he spurts out more, and more, and more, then sliding back again between her thighs, calming himself down with one hand on her hip and the other squeezing her breasts beneath the hoodie.

For Shinichi, everything burns.

"Can I..." Ran speaks first, over quiet gasps of air, "Can I um, remove my socks, I'm..."

"Shit," Shinichi rasps, unable to even out his breathing. "Hold on." Still in a bit of a haze, he slowly releases his grip on Ran's breast, sliding down to join his other hand on her hips. Even in his high, he tries his best to hold her ever so gently. He tries his best, despite the wave of shame that has begun to wash over him.

"Sorry, I couldn't—"

Before Shinichi can finish, Ran turns her head to look at him, and Shinichi knows. The lines of sweat, the slow ragged breaths, the gentle stoke of fire in her eyes, all tell him that for Ran, everything burns, too.

They fall silent for a brief second, holding each other's gaze. Until Ran giggles first. 

It surprises him so because she’s giggling. She rolls the socks down one leg and Shinichi assists her in the other, thinking, if only he foresaw the positive feedback he'd get from this, he would’ve done this ages earlier.

“I think,” she begins, after she lets him clean her up with the dry portion of her discarded socks, the pair obviously going straight to the laundry. “That’s such a perverted thing to do.”

“Hey. Tha – !” Shinichi gives his retort a second thought, unable to control the red of his cheeks as he tucks himself inside his joggers. At least he accepts there is no use denying a fact.

“Don’t blame me,” he mutters, abashed, turning her around so she can see him pout. Maybe Shinichi will have to clean himself up too, later, alone, in the shower.

However, he notices that the fire in her eyes hasn’t disappeared.

“Whose fault is it then? Mine?” Ran asks, coy.

Fuck, not again.

Shinichi is supposedly mature enough to own up to his weakness, but until the end, even as he lays sprawled on the bedroom floor drowning in her kisses twice the intensity, even as he finds his hands roaming her backside to flip her so he comes on top, even as he lets her pull him free of his pants the second time that afternoon, the answer that leaves his smirking lips is, ‘definitely the universe’s.’

[bluevelvetea]

Do you like Akam? Or pulp novels? Or both?

You're in for a treat today! A spicy treat ✨

Get your copy now! You can start reading @kebuyo's fanfic 'Turbulent Tides' right here right now!

Featuring the feared pirate captain Rye and the sailor Rei who might find more than he hoped for at sea... Might contain some historical inaccuracies but they're for the best I promise...

Cover art inspired by every pulp novel featuring pirates that has been written like ever

[lenawin4]

short and sweet little drabble for the Secret & Trust prompt, Day 5 of ShinRan Week :)

hand in hand

It’s the smell. Her eyes water.

“Ran-chan?” Sonoko adds more meat to her bowl of rice. Slightly charred, greasy, dotted with spice. The black lines of the yakiniku grill imprinted on the side. “Ran-chan, are you okay?”

She takes one bite, eyes shut. Teeth tear up the flesh in seconds. She fights the sensations that drown out the restaurant’s clamor, like bees buzzing in her ear, ants crawling over her skin in a slow death march.

“I’m fine,” Ran says. She wants to call Shinichi, crawl into his arms, and listen to his heartbeat.

She can do that now. He’s back, and she can do that.

After lunch, Ran takes the long way home. It’s a winding route that includes a pit stop at the Kudo mansion. Shinichi doesn’t wait for her to ring the bell. She can see him peek out his window, habitually cautious from darker times, and he opens the gate without delay.

His hand closes on her arm, a tight grip that floods her with reassurance. He drags her into him, and she folds around the embrace. He smells like ancient second-hand books and store-bought candles. It washes away the rest, cleanses the griminess of her calloused hands and the sweat sticking to her neck. The yakiniku was unbearably hot, and the smoke rising from blackened grills created a sickening humidity.

The library is freezing. She crawls onto the rug-covered armchair and disappears into herself until he returns.

“It was the smell.” Shinichi sets down two glasses of cold water on his father’s desk. It’s winter. It’s what she needs. “Maybe you should avoid barbeque for a while.”

“How’d you figure that one out?”

“You raided Okaa-san’s candle drawer. It’s not a hard jump.”

“My coat smells like it.” The water goes down her throat like alcohol. She throws her head back with a shot of it. “I thought, did we burn everything?”

“We did,” he says.

“And then I thought, what a terrible thing to worry about. Our own implications.”

“Instead of the man himself.” Shinichi downs the cold water until the ice clinks back to the bottom. He reaches over and grips her hand with sloppy wet fingers that scramble when she slaps his hand away. She lets him try again, and it’s messy. He barely holds onto a few digits, like a baby trying to understand, to know.

“Ran.”

“What have I done?”

“What you needed to do.”

“How can you say that?”

His attention shifts from tangled hands to the wild curls in her hair. His eyes sweep the tears in her eyes, the teeth poking out to chew her bottom lip, the permanent frown. She is a crime scene of brooding worry and guilt, bound together by the yellow tape he’s drawn around her. Yellow tape fences in the blood on her clothes, the bent angle of the man’s neck, and the taunting note that baited her from the detective agency to the docks—all transformed to ash with a bruised, broken body.

But burnt, rotting flesh follows her like a wisp of cologne that lingers long after a man leaves a room. The snap caused by her roundhouse kick jolts her awake in the morning.

Shinichi gazes up with reverence, tempered with agony that shakes a hoarse voice. “How could I not?”

But he means, he thinks about it, too. The rage in her eyes, the glazed half-dead look in Shinichi’s, the unstoppable force of that man hell-bent on killing both of them.

“His name was Gin,” said Shinichi. The horizon peaked over the sea, and the floodlights chased away darkness. The sound of sirens drowned by waves lapping against gangways.

Unstoppable force, meet Mouri Ran.

“It needed to be done,” she says now. Ran takes her hand back and finishes ice-cold water. It’s a relief.

“No one will ever know.” His voice is low, and if it were anyone else, she would think it was dangerous. “You’ll be safe.”

The skylight casts shadows on his features, the rigid clench of his jaw inviting. She cups it with a cold hand, the difference in warmth jarring, and brings his mouth to hers. The kiss is rough, teeth and broken lips knocking together. His hands are frigid when they find her nape and her waist. They are warm moments later. It’s what she needs.

Shinichi pulls away. “Do you believe me? You’ll be safe.”

“Yes.” Of course, she does. “It’s just—to think, of all people, you allowed me to commit murder.”

“I allow it,” he says, his eyes dark, “because of all people, we know how to commit the perfect crime.”

It’s as fine as any other declaration of love.

[dragonsorceress22]

Chapter 4 is up! Here's an excerpt to lure you in 💛

Shinichi felt abruptly empty-handed when he arrived in front of Kuroba Kaito’s room at the hospital. Should he have brought something? Flowers or… He really had no idea. He tapped gently on the door anyway and stepped inside at the answering call.

Ok, not the lure-iest lure but... it's a short chapter this time heh. Come check it out!

[cheswirls]

kaishin story i subscribed to back in 2019 started updating out of the blue again a couple months ago n jus finished this week so i am abt to binge from the beginning bc its been so long and uh

point being sometimes works aren't "abandoned" forever or even intentionally and might surprise you if you stick w them

[kiitruss]

ILL NEVER GET OVER THIS ILL NEVER GET OVER THIS ILL NEVER GET OVER THIS I LOVE THIS SERIES WITH MY WHOLE HEART THIS PART IS SO GOOD AUUUGHHGHHHHHH

The new chapter of Lucky Charm is up! Enjoy

[alexiethymia]

In which Aoko meets Kaito?

Or someone who sure awfully looks a lot like him. What was it they said about karma again? Kaiao. Shinran. Here we go again.

sapphire & spade; Part of the shuffle the deck fic series; dcmk verse fics of rare encounters with the dcmk kids, while flirting loosely with canon. part character analysis, character interactions. much love for gosho’s couples.

Gong-gong

‘Oh no, Aoko’s going to be late!’

She breathes a panicked huff, still ruffling her hair to put it into some semblance of a nice chignon. Rather than anything elegant, she suspects that it probably resembled a bird’s nest. She tried to stem the tears she feels coming up. Aoko knew that this wasn’t like her, to be putting her hair up when she would just as comfortably let it flow loose. She remembered another time she acted like this – during her supposed ‘date’, but she could be forgiven for her nerves then considering that she was trying to prove her best friend’s innocence (ha, funny that).

Anyway, just as it was then, today was a special occasion. And just as it was then, it had something to do with Kaito.

Speak of the devil and he shall appear. Just there looking effortlessly cool wearing a dark jacket and slacks as he checked the time, stood her best friend. She blows away a strand of her hair in frustration. Kaito’s hair was as messy as hers, but why was it that on him it looked windswept rather than like her chaotic mess? 

But her happiness overcomes her frustration and insecurity. It’s been a week since she saw Kaito last, something about taking time off work to guest star in a magic show in America. At least to herself, she can admit, she missed him. It was their anniversary – in more ways than one. Of when they met and many other new beginnings. He swore up and down it would be nothing like her near-disastrous birthday. He promised that he’d be there and on time. As the gong was about to strike twelve midnight, Aoko was as happy as she could remember ever feeling to see he kept his promise.

‘I swear, no more lies, Aoko.’

Except…

She slows to a stop in front of him.

“Aoko! Here you were making me promise to be on time, and you’re the one who was almost late. Good thing Cinderella didn’t turn into a pumpkin or anything like that,” he jokes with a wink. 

His smile could blind her.

At the mention of Cinderella, she remembers a magical transformation and the warmth of his arms. But Kaito had never been her prince charming, rather he was the magical wizard who always did his best to grant her wishes.

Did his best…

Smile straining, she greets him, “Good evening, Kudo-san.”

At his honestly confused face, Aoko could very well applaud him. She could see that he inherited his mother’s skill.

“What are you talking about, Aoko?”

She breathes in and tries her best to be patient. “Kaito couldn’t make it, huh? I’m sorry you got roped into that idiot’s silliness, Kudo-san.”

“No, really,” he says, brows furrowed and looking utterly penitent, “What’re you talking about, Aoko? I am Kaito.” And as if to prove each and every one of her doubts wrong, a blooming rose still wet with dew appears in front of her face.

She would love to believe him, she really would, but Aoko’s had enough practice – and disappointments – in her life.

“Ok then. Aoko believes you,” she could have melted at his relieved expression, “So you’ll accept Aoko’s welcome home kiss, won’t you?” She clasps her hands behind her back and stands on her tip toes to draw her lips to his, closer and closer she draws and feels his breath intermingling with hers.

Just as she thinks they’re about to touch, a high-pitched noise makes her head ring just before she feels the softness of feathers caress her lips.

“That idiot…” she hears in Kaito’s voice, or something close to it. She’s impressed by the subtle shift. When before it had been laced with mischievous laughter, now it was smooth and mildly apologetic, “I’m really sorry about this, Aoko-chan.”

A slight shift in posture, a hand smoothing over his hair, and just like magic, instead of her best friend, there stood in front of her, one famous metantei.

Shinichi knew he shouldn’t have given in to Kuroba.

‘C’mon, Kudo, you owe me. Haven’t I dressed up as you enough times to save your butt?’

‘Yeah,’ he had replied while rolling his eyes, ‘Almost as many times as it caused me trouble.’

‘Onegai,’ Kuroba had pleaded, palms together. ‘Won’t you do your favorite cousin a solid?’

‘You’re my only cousin.’

‘Seriously, Shinichi,’ And he had looked serious, rare as that was, ‘I want to make this special for Aoko. Just think of it as practice for our body-switching trick for my next show.’

Shinichi had been ready to fall for it, before he sighed sufferingly, ‘Again, when did I ever agree to join –‘

‘Plus, if you do this for me, I promise I’ll get you a free three-night stay at the Ritz Carlton in New York. I got complimentary passes since I’m doing a show there. Isn’t your and Ran’s anniversary coming up?’

Damn it.

At the thought of Ran’s overjoyed and wonderstruck face, he decided not to listen to his brain for once. But looking at Aoko-chan trying to keep her smile up and herself strong had Shinichi rethinking this whole thing. No matter how happy Ran might be to spend their anniversary in New York, he’s sure she’d just as well get mad at him for putting one of her girl friends through the wringer. Again, he thinks with feeling, ‘That idiot…’

‘Why did I agree to this again?’

‘That’s no mystery. You pretend like you don’t care, Shinichi, but of course you do. I still remember how ‘Conan-kun’ helped Takagi-keiji out, and Kyougyoku-san too. As much as you say otherwise, of course you’d worry about Kuroba-san.’

‘At least I’m not as bad as you with Hattori and Kazuha-chan.’

‘Don’t fool yourself, Shinichi’, Ran had said laughing sweetly at him, ‘We both know you’re worse.’

Well, he’d agree with worse things than being accused of caring about his troublemaking cousin the moment she laughed happily like that.

Subtly guiding the forlorn woman to sit on a nearby bench, Shinichi tries his best to cheer her up. “You look really nice tonight.” Shinichi meant it honestly. While Ran looked great in lavender and red (probably one of the reasons why it was his favorite color in the first place), he tended to favor blue for himself. Meanwhile, blue seemed to favor Aoko-chan. In her glittering sapphire dress and crystal pumps, she looked every bit a modern-day Cinderella. Or maybe it was the total opposite and it was that modern-day Lupin running out of time. Speaking of…

While he knew he had an overinflated ego at times, Shinichi would like to think he wasn’t as bad as his dad. While he wasn’t as good as Kuroba, he thinks he’s picked up some things from his mother.

‘Ha, everyone knows I’m the one who took after Yukiko-obaa san.’

‘…’

‘I’m telling kaa-san you said that.’

‘W-wait, I actually have a reason I can call her obaa-san now.’

‘Ha, as if that’ll stop her.’

At the very least, he shudders to think he was as bad as Hattori, so he can’t help but ask, “How could you tell?”

Aoko-chan still seemed blue but lifts up a corner of her mouth in reply, “Kaito doesn’t usually wear dark clothes.”

Remembering countless pre-heist preparations, Shinichi opens his mouth ready to object before Aoko interrupts, “Aoko knows what you’re going to say, Kudo-san. Kaito wears dark clothes when he wants to hide, but for something like this he wouldn’t be able to help but draw attention to himself. He’d wear white or something bright.” Or something colorful and loud. Thoughtlessly she reaches up to stroke the feathers of the dove which had comfortably made a home on her head. She gives up the hairstyle for a lost cause and gets lost in her thoughts.

Aoko had always hated the dark. It reminded her too much of the silence of an empty home. But Kaito was always loud and bright, sometimes blinding. Like a beacon she would always be drawn to him in a crowd and then she wouldn’t be alone anymore.

She decides to continue, “Also, remember what you said earlier,” she smiles wryly, “Kaito wouldn’t compliment what I was wearing. You’re too much of a gentleman, Kudo-san, it still shows. You didn’t call me ‘Ahouko’ even once.”

Shinichi’s sure Aoko-chan’s expression was mirrored by his own deadpan look. They really resembled Hattori and Kazuha-chan at times, for better or worse. He knew that every couple had their own quirks and expressions, but he couldn’t help but worry. Since he wouldn’t ever admit being worried for that menace, let’s just say he was worried about Aoko and leave it at that.

“Still,” Aoko says while fiddling with her fingers, “You almost had Aoko fooled. You did his trick exactly like he would have done it. Is that why Heart-chan is with you?”

He takes a split-second before answering to ask, “Heart-chan?”

Aoko nods like he’s supposed to get it, “Yeah, Hato-chan.”

Shinichi deadpans. Well what else could he expect from someone who loved his punny riddles? Rather, ‘Heart-chan’ was supposed to keep an eye on him, and anyway ‘this little gal knows you already’ before said dove had disappeared into his clothes. Shinichi doesn’t admit to being impressed especially when he could tell how the other man had done it within five seconds. “Something like that,” he answers instead.

Kuroba should be satisfied that she’d done her job, Shinichi thinks, remembering the aftertaste of feathers. And yet he also remembers that annoyingly high-pitched feedback. Grimacing, he thinks that he better be satisfied. At the very least Shinichi was grateful so he gives the dove a pat of his own.

Shinichi was no magician, but if Kuroba could play at being detective, then he could do no less. If they were two sides of the same coin then something like replicating a trick he’s cracked the mystery to was as simple as child’s play.

Still, he was a detective and eternally curious at heart, “So how?” He simply asks, trusting Aoko-chan to understand.

Aoko smiles, a bit brighter than before, “The rose would have been blue,” since it was a special occasion after all, “And,” here Aoko pauses feeling herself blush, “Kaito breathes differently, ifthatmakesanysense,” she exclaims in a rush. She peeks up at the older detective, almost feeling embarrassed at being judged. She can’t help it, Kudo-san and Ran-chan always seemed to her to be so sophisticated and mature, a steady and steadfast couple if anything, that she worried if she was still childish in comparison.

Rather than shocked though, Kudo-san looks like he understands. “I get it, Aoko-chan.” And he really did, she didn’t have to explain. He’d compared women to mysteries once (with time he can look back on it now and see it as a child’s frustration and fear at not being able to understand the heart of the one dearest to him), but they were incredible detectives too. He remembers being shocked that Ran could tell Kuroba wasn’t him (sometimes he might underestimate her too much, it’s a lesson he’s happy to keep relearning), and surmises that this must be something like it. No wonder, Kaitou Kid had always been so tight-lipped. The greatest danger to his identity hadn’t been him, but Nakamori, albeit a different Nakamori than everyone thought.

Aoko breathes in the cold night air. It would be midnight soon. “So what happened? Did he…start again?”

Aoko released a huge sigh of relief when Kudo-san shakes his head empathically, “Kuroba knows better than to break your heart like that,” at her snort, he grins, “Well at least he should know better because you’d be the first to haul him right to jail, with me and Hakuba right behind you. I’m sure Hattori wouldn’t want to be left out either.”

At her energetic response of ‘much better’, Shinichi smiles feeling happy that he managed to allay a bit of her worries.

“It’s just that…he could have told Aoko he couldn’t make it. He said no more lies after all.” She sighed.  

“Aoko doesn’t want to hold him back from doing what he loves. She knows how much he enjoys the stage and spotlight, but sometimes Aoko just enjoys the simple things. Just him being here is enough for Aoko. She wonders if she’s selfish for feeling this way,” she says while placing her chin on her palms, pouting.

Shinichi nods noncommittally. It’s not as if he doesn’t get it. Although it’s been years, his heart still twists at the memory of Ran bursting into tears after smiling so brightly. It wasn’t his place to say, ‘maybe he really had a good reason’ when excuses were just another kind of lie. ‘There was only one truth,’ right?

Even if he could understand Aoko’s pain, it also wasn’t his place to chastise Kuroba when he had been the same. Detective and thief, critic and performer, truth and lie - they were indeed two sides of the same coin because, unlike Hattori, unlike Hakuba, they made their home in that grey area in between.

One truth that he can be sure of though, enough that he can confidently tell Aoko is this, “At the very least, Aoko-chan, no matter what mischief that guy gets up to, he’ll always return home to you. If there’s anything he’d wish for the most, it would be your happiness.” For the man with a thousand faces who knew everyone and could become anyone, there was at least one person in the whole world who knew the person behind the mask absolutely and completely.

He hears a soft ‘thanks’ at the same time a small smile tentatively blooms on Aoko’s face.

3…

2..

1.

GONG

‘It’s showtime!’

Ok, that hadn’t been a whisper from the mic he was wearing on his collar. He’s sure he had been listening in through that nifty accessory Heart-chan was wearing from who knows where, and finally decided to make his entrance.

Geez, that guy sure liked to make people wait (Shinichi thinks he deserves to be purposefully obtuse for once. He’s made too many comparisons between them already).

At the wonderstruck expression on Aoko’s face at the multitude of blue fireworks scattered across the night sky above the clocktower, Shinichi hopes that she and he would think this was all worth it.

Ironic that he’d find himself here again, finally facing his rival after so many years after that first meeting that they had both forgotten, and in vastly different circumstances too. He has to admit though that he is relieved to find out that that once moonlighting thief had managed to protect what was important to him.

He watched with Aoko as a glider with a jet engine sky wrote the words, ‘Happy anniversary!’ (As he remembers free falling off a blimp, Shinichi thinks wryly that he finally managed to solve that problem.)

Unlike Aoko though, he didn’t shout a delighted gasp of surprise when a pillar of pink smoke and glitter suddenly puffed in between them.

“Kaito!”

No matter how many times she’d seen it happen, she would probably always react in wonder as if it was the first time. (Not for the first time for him when looking at Aoko, he is reminded of Ran’s reactions after every successful deduction. Well, the very first time wasn’t really the awed reaction he’d hoped for. Still, he treasured that moment).

Kuroba Kaito, Kaitou Kid, the world’s most daring magician appeared with a bang. He might have had thousands of fans (in both personas), but from the wide grin and manic energy he had now it seemed like he was performing for the entire world in the form of one person.

“What’s that supposed to be, Ahouko?” He says pointing to the ruffled mess left of Aoko’s hair when Heart-chan left to return to her rightful master. It was teasing but still all the fonder for it.

“Mou, don’t tease, Kaito. Not when you’re so late,”

“On the contrary, I’m right on time,” and with a snap of his fingers, Aoko’s hair transformed into the elegant chignon she’d be wrangling it into the whole night.

Hands in his pockets, Shinichi observed the other man dressed to the nines in a white and blue suit. He could be accused of cosplaying a very popular phantom thief except the shade of blue was slightly different, and instead matched the eyes of his lovely companion. “Dummy?”

He was referring the obvious decoy still writing above them, but as expected when Kaito drew closer and narrowed his eyes at him, he’d gotten the double meaning.

“I thought I might have had to ruin my cue and come in too early, but good thing you were here, huh?” Kaito scratched Heart-chan on the top of her feathered head for being such a good girl, before whirling to point at his near doppelganger, “And you! A great detective shouldn’t be trying to steal a phantom thief’s job. That was way too close a call! Don’t make me tell on you to Ran.”

Shinichi scoffs lightly. Now he understood what Hattori must have felt back then, and inspired, he just says with a smirk, “Let’s just say we’re even now.”

Kaito narrows his eyes further if that were even possible. “You hold onto a grudge for way too long.”

“Says you.”

"Wow," Aoko says awed, "Looking at the both of you side-by-side like this...it's like looking at a mirrored reflection!" 

"What're you talking about, Aoko? I'm obviously more good looking," Kaito boasts. "Anyway..."

Shinichi could tell he was planning something from how he was creeping closer but not even he could have expected being blindfolded with magic scarves.

“Oi, Kuroba!”

Kaito knew he probably should have just waited till Kudo left but he never could keep his cool around Aoko. In a whirlwind rush, he drew her in a dance position and finally stole her lips.

Could it be called stealing if they were his in the first place? He may have been a retired thief, and call him a hypocrite if you had to, but he would never let anyone steal this. He may have been forced to look for Pandora, but all the world’s jewels could not compare to this one precious sapphire.

The moment he saw her in her get-up, his heart stopped and he suddenly couldn’t sit still. It was a surreal experience watching her with ‘himself’ from the outside, and to still feel jealous even when it was his own plan.

Arghh, just call him a hypocrite and be done with it, because the moment of that near-kiss, his life suddenly flashed before his eyes and all those times he took Kudo’s place with Ran. He apologizes to the metantei in his mind. Man, even if he did use him as bait for his trigger-happy black organization, Kaito realizes that that little detective must have had so much patience with him to not just punt him to the moon for all the stunts he did back then. He suddenly shudders remembering that ominous flash of glasses that signaled an ass-kicking. On principle, he started staying away from glasses-wearing grade schoolers after that. Trauma ran deep after all.

But he felt everything settle into place the moment he felt Aoko melting into his arms. He thought he knew temptation when he had a chance to steal a first kiss back then, but he had been content to let Sleeping Beauty rest. And yet, even after biting the bullet (and the plush apple that was Aoko’s lips), temptation still continued its siren call every time he saw her.

He must have really missed her.  

A rude cough woke him up from his wonderful dream, as Aoko squeaked and hid behind him.

“I’m giving you three seconds, so the moment I remove this I better not see anything scarring.”

“You wish,” Kaito responds childishly.

As Shinichi sighed sufferingly and peeked from beneath the blindfold, he remarks, “Should I be thankful you didn’t use sleeping gas?”

Interlacing Aoko’s fingers with his own, he shoots his cousin a finger salute and jokes, “Could still be an option.”

“Just try it. I’d tranq you first,” he says, narrowing his eyes at him, “But, I don’t want to ruin Aoko-chan’s evening after she waited so long for you.”

“Pot,” Kaito points to him, then to himself, “Meet Kettle.”

Shinichi rolls his eyes, but didn’t say anything knowing he had a point. “So, any reason why you couldn’t just wait until I left?”

“Because,” Kaito says cheekily before turning to Aoko with a bright, blue rose suddenly in his hand, “I just wanted to show you how it’s done.” Aoko looked even more delighted with the sudden gift.

“Right, right,” he says playing along, as he ruffles his hair. “Well, I’m off. It’s an early day tomorrow, and knowing Ran she’s probably waiting up,” partly to hear any ‘juicy details’ in her own words. “You kids have fun now,” he says with a wave as he turned away from them.

“Oi, metantei!”

When Shinichi turns back, he sees Kaito look unexpectedly sheepish, “Thanks again for this.”

With a small smile, he just replies with a ‘Hai, hai,’ as he finally leaves them to enjoy their anniversary in peace. He’d heard from Ran who heard from Aoko-chan that it was the anniversary of when they met, as well as the anniversary of when the Kaitou Kid had finally given up his mantle and the exciting life of a phantom thief to confess to his best friend. Rumor had it than even when he had the entire female population’s attention, he had only ever and truly sought after the regard of one specific person. Perhaps it was some kind of karmic justice that it was also the same person who hated his guts, and would continue to do so as long as he was still stealing. And so he’d given up the gold to get the girl. Or so the rumor went.

It was a long day and he’s just about ready to snuggle with Ran in bed as he entertained her with the kind of story she’d love.

From the excited gasp he heard behind him, he’s sure Aoko-chan had finally seen what his quick gaze noticed as soon as Kuroba whipped up that rose – another blue rose nestled in its petals, or more accurately it was an asteria, a star sapphire inlaid in a white-gold setting fashioned after a rose. Miniature vines made up its small band. Shinichi’s pretty sure it would fit perfectly, even imagined Kuroba dressing up as Aoko-chan to make sure it really did fit.

Another thing he noticed, the slightly off-kitler English letter ‘H’. Everything else in the message had been lowercase. Shinichi knew Kuroba, whether he was Kaitou Kid or not, being the perfectionist he was, wouldn’t make a mistake like that. Maybe it wasn’t supposed to be an ‘H’ and he had to improvise. Shinichi couldn’t be sure, but it almost looked like it could have been an English letter ‘w’.

Aoko-chan might not get the implications right away. Diamonds were traditional after all (like his and Ran’s), but when had Kuroba ever been conventional?

Seeing that gem had brought back memories of a fallen emperor, a chain of red lights, a forced landing, and a heartfelt confession. As if Shinichi could ever forget. It could have been the same gem that he tried to steal back then.

“I promise I didn’t steal this one, Aoko. Really!”

Just maybe scoured the world for it, which was why he had been missing for a week in the guise of a show. He’d used his own legal (and extra-legal too) contacts in the police, and even Shinichi’s. In the end he’d even asked Sonoko, Momiji-san, old man Suzuki, and when he’d run out of billionaires to ask, his dad and mom. They might have heard something. Even Kuroba as much as it pained his pride to do it, asked his oyaji who had heard of news of the missing gem during his own escapades.

Maybe he wasn’t a detective, and no longer a thief, but Kuroba was still a master storyteller. A star fit perfectly with the moon. And what’s more…

Destiny, Hope, Faith. What they had encountered was a fake empress with a fake gem, but he thought the genuine article fit Aoko-chan perfectly. That true and utter - some would say blind – faith in him, the real him under the smoke and mirrors.

Maybe he had almost lost hope, but just like Pandora, he kept a little bit of it close to his heart. So long as she was there waiting for him and believing in him.  

And just like that, no matter how many obstacles there were of other’s and their own making, maybe it was just destiny for them to be. Together.

Or maybe, he laughs at himself, he was just the sentimental fool Ran said he was, to be comparing their situations.

They were alike, as much as he hated to admit it. Maybe blood really did run that deep. So, he can say that Kuroba could be as stupid as him sometimes. But at the same time, he knew that Kuroba knew how lucky he was to have her, after everything. And they could only be so lucky not to mess up again and end up having to let go.

Maybe his original plan was to make it into one spectacular show, but he’d always been good at improvising, and no magician worth his salt would leave a young woman’s wish unheard and not granted. And so, his original plans took a back seat, and he turned it into something private and just for them instead. Despite that, he can understand if Kuroba still needed his critic one more time, to have someone witness no matter what he decided, and to stop him from running away if needed.

But…

He takes one last look as soon as he’s far enough. Aoko-chan had her arms around him, tight as if she never wanted to let go as she admired the ring on her left finger over his shoulder. Kuroba looked caught off guard, bright red and blushing with no trace of a suave Phantom Thief on his face, just a man flustered in the embrace of the one he loved, before he held her back, equally as tight.

He doesn’t think he needs to worry about anything on that front. He’d once been a thief, and thieves tended to guard their treasures zealously.

And well, Shinichi thinks chuckling, if it was witnesses he needed, then witnesses he’d get. By tomorrow, everyone of their acquaintances would hear of the happy news, courtesy of Ran.

He’s sure to enjoy the chase.

‘Good luck, Kaitou Kid.’

[5thtantei]

yknow, i love kaishin/shinkai but every time i read an angsty fic (majority) my heart drops so far i feel it in my feet

#mildrant

i keep thinking about how people portray kaito, when to me he’s one of the loneliest possible characters with even fewer people knowing his identity because it can put them in danger. not just that but it also puts HIM in danger, just because he’s wanted by police and forces everywhere he goes— without knowing the actual reasons why. realistically his life is always in danger, more so than shinichi’s. he has the organisation targeting him, police, even detective friends and on top of that having your best friend bash KID: idk but in his position i don’t know how much he’s been through… i sometimes think he’s far more vulnerable because he has to put up more walls and façades.

one reason why i support kaishin is because shinichi doesn’t unnecessarily have a reason to catch him- knowing him he’ll want to find out more and have a proper reason to go after him. he KNOWS kaitou kid isn’t a bad person. he doesn’t know his identity or want to pursue him recklessly, and i should think kaito appreciates his detective a lot. hakuba and aoko give me mixed feelings.. i like aokaito but… i just think relationships based around honesty would be better.

i love aoko, i really do.

kaito really deserves someone who loves and understands him at his best and at his worst. his support system is much smaller than shinichi’s. to top it off, kaito is really devoted to his dad’s cause that he had to pick up OUT OF NOWHERE. that amount of burden after losing his dad, a somewhat absent mom and then finding out about jii san having to take on the mantle… i can’t imagine how much pain is repressed on his part.

in short i really love kaito kuroba as a character and adore him strongly. fics that use his phobia to attack him or to cause him heavy fear saddens me a lot. i still reinstate my point that kaito is one of the loneliest characters i’ve seen and characters that have to play an ‘antagonistic’ role in order to protect people they love and avenge their family just hits really hard

along with magic kaito’s series unlikely to ever get an ending or closure…

Kaito Kuroba deserves so much better.

idk finding people from dcmk comm or kaishin/shinkai fans who have opinions about this

also kaishin/shinkai roleplayers please hmu i’m at a destructive point

[balancingdiet]

So i just finished the movie earlier and I am in so much feels right now HAHAHA. Just a mini rant regarding the movie! MAJOR spoilers ahead

i'm so happy i went in blind for the movie so i literally have 0 information about it. The only thing I know was Heiji and Kaitou Kid were gonna be it. So colour me surprise when there were a lot more easter eggs and fun references to canon scenes than I expected, and I do semi-enjoy them. But I was truly SHOOKEDTH when Aoko appeared. I literally gasped and was screaming internally in the cinema because MY BABY GIRL??? While it made sense that she should be there when Inspector Nakamori was shot, I still didn't expect her to be included in the movie at all. Every scene with her were the best moments I had tbh, followed closely by Kaitou Kid's angst when he couldn't save Inspector Nakamori (hmm yes i love the pain and guilt and emotional distress HAHAHAH) I would probably need a second or third watch to fully grasp how they solve the riddles to the treasure thingy, but I'm okay to cast that concern aside in exchange for enjoyable, strong character-driven moments! But sadly, the dynamics were kinda lacking in this movie for me. There were just so many things going on, with the confession plan, then the murder, then the kidnapping, then the riddle, then the story of the swords... you get it. This movie had so many things going on that nothing was going on at the same time? I felt like if I were to watch any other movie with Heiji&Conan/Kid&Conan/Heiji&Kid in it, their dynamics would be the same and underdeveloped. In fact, what I love were actually the unconventional or lesser popular dynamics? Like I mentioned, Aoko really steal the show, and I enjoyed her interaction with Conan and referencing to Kaito's younger self LOL. And when Ran noticed and was supportive of Heiji's confession plan, their moments were super nice and cute too! (Though it was no shocker when Heiji's confession was ruined, once again. At this point I really do feel bad for him.) Now, to the important part: the cousin reveal HAHAHHAHA When Heiji asked Conan if he has a sibling or something, I was kinda "hmm??", but I didn't thought they would really go with the reveal in this movie. While being a KaiShin shipper, I still adore ShinRan and KaiAo a lot (those KaiAo crumbs cured my sadness HAHAHA). I'm not sure if I would incorporate this new reveal into any future KaiShin fics (if I'm writing any), but still I am kinda disappointed that they decided to reveal it this way, like it's just a "by the way thing". But what was worse was that Toichi is indeed really alive, with this information backed and followed up since the Midnight Crow arc in Magic Kaito Manga. This "plot twist" actually felt rather flat, like it was done just for the shock factor and not for substance. Like there really wasn't a point for it? Unless the dcmk verse is really going to unite and they are going to take down the BO + Snake gang together in the future? Idk. This whole thing feels cheap... and an unnecessary plot device. Honestly, it would be a lot cooler if Phantom lady (Chikage) plays a more active role than Toichi's "Kaitou Corbeau". His actual death was what motivated and made Kaito who Kaito is today. And to just rip that away because Gosho cannot allow good characters to remain dead... is just kinda ugh. MagicKaito-verse is kinda messed up for me now and I felt a little bit sad when I walk out of the cinema after that LOL. I still love DCMK and I will always adore all the characters in my heart (bigger shoutout to Aoko though LOL), but I just hope that whatever direction Gosho takes with the story, it's for the better: Rather than relying on the characters to make the plot interesting, he should address/better the plot that drives the characters to complete their interesting stories. Not sure if this make sense but yeah. Oh well, if you have read till this far, thank you for hearing my long rant! I do feel a bit better after this HAHAHAHA

[the-red-thread-that-strangles]

Let's all wish @fizzyjacuzzi a very happy birthday <3

Sweater weather AU Operation Campfire (Part 2)

Despite all individual factors suggesting Rei should be asleep, he lies still and utterly: awake.

It's been a long night. He's tipsy and worn out and it's so comfortably warm in Akai's embrace. The sniper's heart beats steadily in his chest - a lullaby for Rei, if he could just calm down and listen. With every breath, he soaks in the smells: the body wash clinging to Akai; a hint of smoke from the man's stupidly unhealthy habit, and the last, stubborn reminders of aftershave. They mix and mingle into a nauseating scent that tries to drag Rei under, promises the sweet relief of pleasant dreams, if he just gives in. If he follows Akai into sleep.

And yet Rei's heart hammers in his chest, its erratic rhythm keeping him from peaceful slumber.

He's waiting - for something to happen, for this peaceful existence to end. For Akai to stir and quietly slip out of bed, leaving it cold and empty, with only the smell of stale smoke for company.

Not that the alternative is much better. If Akai leaves, it will hurt only once - and then Rei can shove all those spiralling thoughts and feelings back into the void they came from. Their little tryst would be a one-time mistake; excusable by a myriad of factors, never to be repeated again.

But if Akai doesn't leave, Rei will need to deal with this distraction, this temptation, in his heart and bed and life, for as long as Akai will have him.

(For as long as it takes for Rei to inevitably screw things up.)

Which might be sooner than later, because Rei has zero relationship experience.

It was simply never an option - had seemed like a mere distraction, a liability, something he couldn't afford and would gladly give up for his work. It hadn't even felt like a sacrifice; Rei was given the opportunity to be part of something so much larger, so much more important than himself - petty dreams of home and a family simply faded into obscurity.

Which leaves him with the current crisis. What does last night mean for their relationship, going forward?

If Akai wants any sort of regularity or stability, he'll be sorely disappointed. When Rei does manage to go home at all it's at odd hours of the night. Then he works some more, sleeps a few hours, and before dawn, he's already back at it. Crime never sleeps, and so neither should he.

(The hypocrisy stings, every time he tells Akai to rest, so he can give his all, later. Just because Rei objectively knows it to be true, doesn't mean he is beholden to it. And if he can't fall asleep, well, he might as well get more work done.)

That is, if he's even in the country. It's not quite as bad as during his syndicate days, but Rei travels wherever his mission leads him. Meeting contacts in person still is most effective; many of them don't trust digital communications, and for good reason, when the leak of a conversation might mean one's death.

Sometimes communications break down in the middle of a mission, too. It's very possible he'll be away from home, and Akai won't be able to reach him for weeks, maybe months if he's in deep cover and can't move safely. This year alone, they've already gone several months at once without seeing each other. Rei is busy, and so is Akai, and their schedules barely line up.

(Always on a timer, when they do.)

It's slightly better at the moment, because Akai is on loan to the PSB, but that's only until the syndicate case is wrapped up. Another year, at most.

(And then Rei will be left behind, again.)

Not that it will be much better for Akai. Despite his cool cat persona, it's clear his family means everything to the sniper. Rei won't be able to give him any. And he won't even be able to reliably provide the support Akai deserves.

(He's dug into Akai's relationship history, briefly, and is now left wondering whether things didn't work out between him and agent Starling because she, too, refused to put him above her work.)

Rei's heart burns. This is a mistake.

Maybe he could spare them both future suffering, if he nips this fledgeling concept in the bud. Could claim it was a drunken whim that had him going along with Akai's kisses, that he would have never done so while sober. That it's inappropriate.

That he doesn't reciprocate Akai's feelings.

(It would be a lie. But what is his life but lies, these days?)

All of this would be a lot simpler without the taste of Akai's lips still lingering on his, without being given a taste of what things could be.

The rare night out drinking. (Akai's unguarded smile, among his colleagues.)

Akai coming over to help build furniture for his new flat. (The look of pleased surprise, when Rei gave him a key.)

The safehouse. (Scrubbing Akai's hair. Having breakfast together. Watching over each other's sleep. Their own little bubble, waiting to burst. He would have liked to stay trapped like that for a little while longer.)

All those small comforts softening the blows life deals to him. He's so tempted to rest, with Akai by his side. Which is exactly the problem.

Akai makes Rei want to forget his duty, and he can't.

It's the one thing he always adhered to, throughout the years. What kept him going, when the world turned to ash around hime. The one thing that defines him. He can't give it up.

If he lost that, what would be left of him?

If he lost Akai, what would be left of him?

How is he supposed to reconcile these conflicting desires?

He wants Akai, so deeply and painfully that the mere thought of ruining this tentative bond between them sends a spike of anxiety through Rei. It seizes his heart and leaves him short of breath.

Shuuichi shifts in his sleep, squeezes Rei close, rubs slow circles into his back. It doesn't help, is only a temporary respite.

(Rei's stomach churns. Not for the first time, he wishes he'd chosen a simpler path in life.)

Damnit. What is he even doing, here? Luring Akai in with his selfish desires, luxuriating at his side, when Rei knows full well he can't give him what he needs, deserves?

Akai presses a kiss into his hair, mumbling something incomprehensible.

This is a mistake. This weakness is going to get them both killed.

His heart can't take it, and so Rei runs.

.

The morning air helps to cool his thoughts a little, but he's drifting aimlessly through the city streets. He wishes he had Haro with him - it would give him a pretence of purpose, at least, to walk his dog. But Haro is enjoying a well-earned spa day in a pet hotel. Since none of their colleagues were available to dogsit, and Rei was not too keen on a repeat of the last time Haro had tried to become top dog at a gathering with police hounds, it had seemed like a sensible option.

He's regretting it right about now - the place likely isn't staffed yet, and it would be more trouble than it's worth to try and dognap his own puppy. Maybe he should have taken Azusa's offer, after all. She's used to getting up early for work, at least. But while she means well, the less involved he is with her, the better for the both of them. He'd rather avoid another cyberbullying incident.

Hm.

Maybe he should just go to work? That would put his mind back on track. Though going there now would earn him a lecture about his workaholic tendencies from Hiro as soon as he finds out.

Come to think of it... Isn't this situation supposedly what best friends are for?

.

Finding Hiro from his last known location is a trivial affair.

The tracker Rei slipped into his best friend's purse is sending its signal ever-reliably, leading him through Tokyo's back alleys until he arrives in front of a place called The Study Room. Though the name is innocuous enough, the tacky red plush decor and brightly coloured advertisements for all sorts of costumes and toys greeting him as he slips inside very quickly paint a less-than-innocent picture.

Not the seediest love hotel Rei has ever set foot into, but still far from classy.

In the early morning hours, the place is practically deserted. Rei makes his way up to the second floor without running into anyone, which is just as well. Hiro picked a room close to the central staircase - easy to evacuate. He must have still had his wits about him. Good.

"Room service", he calls out in an off-pitch voice, and knocks. When that doesn't get a reply, Rei lets himself inside. Either it's Hiro's room, or someone has stolen his wallet - taking care of the latter also seems like a decent way to calm his racing thoughts.

The lock gives way easily enough as he swipes his keycard through the frame. With a soft creak, the door swings open to reveal a lavishly-decorated bedroom, pink and red hues dominating, and the scent of lavender overpowering anything else. The room is artificially darkened with blinds, though a few LED strips offer diffuse lighting from behind the bed. He's also staring down the barrel of Hiro's gun, his best friend's eyes gleaming dangerously in the low light.

Rei would be more inclined to feel threatened if he had bothered to flick off the safety. "Good morning to you too, Hiro."

His friend puts the service weapon back into the holster he's draped across the bedside table, and takes a look at his wristwatch. "It's still night, Zero." He sighs, takes a longing look at the pillows, and then points towards another door leading out of the room.

Rei frowns - the bed looks comfortable enough, surely they could chat here? Although to be completely honest, he doesn't want to know what people have done here, and how properly it's been cleaned and disinfected. If Hiro suggests the side room, presumably a bathroom, that's probably for the best.

Though -

"What's going on?", a high-pitched voice whines at Hiro's side, and despite the cadence, it's very clearly... male. And terrifyingly familiar.

Surely, he can't -

Hiro gives him a measured look, points at the door again, and then, to Rei's horror, ruffles the hair of the person beside him. "Shhh, it's alright. Just go back to sleep. I'll be right back."

"Don't dally." Before his very eyes, detective Yamamura Misao of the Gunma police places a kiss on Hiro's hand before his best friend can escape the smooching jaw of the abyss that is hungrily reaching out for him. "It's so cold without you..."

Rei stares for a moment too long as Hiro slides out of bed, glued to the accident unfolding before him. For his due diligence, he is rewarded with the image of detective Yamamura's half-naked form, burnt into his eyes, his mind, before the officer wraps himself up in a blanket.

Bleach. He needs bleach. Rei hurries into the next room, praying that it is, indeed, a bathroom, and well-stocked with cleaning supplies. He's sorely disappointed to find only an obscene variety of shower gels and shampoo in the room.

The door opens and closes behind him, gets locked with a click. For someone dressed in just his underwear and a fluffy pink bathrobe, Hiro manages to project a surprisingly concerned aura. He pinches the bridge of his nose. "Alright, Zero. Why are you here, at seven in the morning, on the first day of my vacation?" He taps his foot. It echoes off the tiled bathroom.

His mind still reeling, Rei tries to bring his spiralling thoughts into some semblance of order. He's not slept in over forty-eight hours. Maybe this was all just a vivid hallucination? He gets those sometimes. "Was that-"

Hiro clicks his tongue. "Surely you did not barge into my hotel to discuss my love life, Zero."

Rude. If their roles were reversed, his best friend would pry until Rei didn't have any secrets left to tell. Unfortunately, Hiro was taught all the same interrogation techniques as Rei - as well as how to resist them.

(And unlike him, Hiro doesn't usually keep his secrets close to his chest. If he doesn't want to talk about this... well, the less Rei has to think about the walking, talking headache that is Yamamura, the better.)

At least his best friend's words serve as a reminder, stirring a moment of clarity from his confusion. Love life. Right. That was it. There was a reason he sought out his best friend. For advice. For help. Damnit. Where does he even start?

Rei turns on the shower. He'd rather be caught dead than to have Yamamura be the one to overhear this particular talk.

The seconds pass, run down the drain with the shower water. Rei stares at his hands, folded in his lap, as the room slowly fogs up. Doesn't manage to look Hiro in the eye.

Alright. Simple and straight to the point. Get it over and done with.

"Akai kissed me." The confession bubbles out of Rei in a mixture of joy, confusion and tacit apprehension. It's still hard to believe it really happened, but the feeling lingers on his kiss-bruised lips, sends warmth pooling into his stomach.

He can feel the weight of Hiro's gaze shifting on him, sharpening. Bracing himself. "And how did you respond?"

Rei scoffs. As if there ever was more than one possible answer. "I reciprocated, of course."

(And then they had kissed some more, and Rei's hand had slipped under the hem of Akai's pyjama shirt, seeking out the warmth of his skin more directly, and Shuuichi had held him close, pressed him tightly to his chest as if he never wanted to let Rei go-)

Hiro lets out a breath of relief, and somehow that's a little insulting.

"Congratulations, then. It was admittedly getting a little frustrating to watch you two dance around each other, while also clearly being head over heels. I was starting to wonder if I needed to lock you two up together in the cabin next week." Hiro frowns, blinks the sleep from his eyes. "But if that's the case, then why are you here, and not, oh, I don't know - in his arms?"

"I need advice, an emergency strategy. What do I do now?" It's pathetic how uncertain his voice comes out, lacking all confidence. It breaks at the last syllable - this was a mistake, he should leave.

Hiro catches his look, and steps in between Rei and the door.

Great. Rei would rather not have to fight to gain his freedom. Normally, he can take Hiro. Right now, he wouldn't be so sure. He links his fingers and rests his chin on top, awaiting Hiro's judgement.

Thankfully, it doesn't come. Hiro just drags a small stepping stool over. Rei doesn't want to know what that's usually used for, in this kind of establishment. "Alright. Let's brainstorm." He pours them each a glass of water, and sits down.

"Okay. Let's roll it up from the bottom." Hiro yawns. "To make a plan, we need the goal. What is it that you want?"

A loaded question, the one Rei has been struggling with the whole way here. Leave it to Hiro to cut right to the meat of the issue.

The simple truth, the pattern in the memories of the last year, is thus: Rei needs wants Akai Shuuichi in his life.

He wants the small joys; to run fingers through Shuuichi's wet locks after a shower, to taste-test the newest recipe he tries his hand at, to hear him yawn all throughout the morning until he's had his first cup of coffee.

Rei wants the bitterness, too; to cover Akai, when he's being reckless; to hold him, when the nightmares threaten to swallow him whole; to kiss his scars all better, because there's nothing else to be done about them.

And lastly, Rei wants the man himself; wants to see that fond smile directed at him, wants those burning eyes focused solely on him, wants the heat of Akai's body to seep into his bones and keep him warm.

(Wants Akai to take him and hold him and keep him when he's done.)

What a selfish creature he is, to know nothing but his own desires.

"I want Akai in my life."

Hiro nods, unsurprised. "Now, I would argue that he already is. What would you want to change about the current situation?"

Unbidden, the ghost sensation of being pinned to the bed, lips on his neck, and heavy breathing in his ear, interspersed with words of affection in Akai's low voice, come to mind. Rei can feel himself flush. He blames the hot shower for the sweat clinging to his skin.

Hiro looks right through him. "Never mind. Don't answer that."

Rei takes a deep sip from his glass. It helps, if only a little.

"But I don't really see the issue here? You just told me he made a move on you, and we both know Akai is the type to plan ahead. Surely, he's aware of the consequences of his actions, and ready to follow through with them?"

"That's exactly the problem. I think I've accidentally led him on - I can't give him what he wants. The NPA comes first."

(It has to come first.)

After a too-long pause, Hiro finally asks: "And what would that be?"

"A home, a family? What anyone would want. You saw how happy he was with Akemi. And there's this group of children, they call themselves The Detective Boys... when he was playing grad student, they befriended him, and even now that he's back as Akai, he's been meeting with them. Always returns with a smile when he does."

Hiro nods, the picture of a sage slightly ruined by his lack of a beard. "I presume he has told you this is what he wants?"

"No, but it's clear as day-"

"Zero. Rei. Stop."

Rei stares at his best friend. His mouth snaps shut mid-sentence.

"Listen. You're a brilliant investigator, and you make a living out of analysing people. This skill has kept you alive, so it makes sense you would rely on it. But in this case, you might be too involved to read the situation accurately. So until you've talked to Akai about this, I would like you to refrain from making assumptions."

Rei keeps his mouth carefully shut, fighting the urge to the scold Hiro. Who does he think he is, to know Akai better-

"If there's anyone in the world who understands your work and the toll it takes, it's Akai. I'm sure he didn't expect you to quit your job and marry him on the spot or some such ridiculous thing."

(Shuuichi's eyes, so warm and bright, his hands, careful of his strength, holding him tight-

Rei really wouldn't be so sure about the 'not wanting to marry on the spot' thing. He's seen plenty of couples on their wedding day with looks less fond than Akai's.)

"He's neither stupid, nor delusional. A relationship is give and take, if that's even what he wants. That plan you asked for? It's simple: talk it out with him. Though you might have to pry his thoughts and feelings out of him - you know how he gets."

Beep. Beep. Beep-

Hiro frowns and fishes his phone out of the bathrobe's pocket with a sigh. "Seriously, why am I so popular today..." He glances at the display. "Ah. Speak of the devil."

"Good morning, Akai-" He's apparently being interrupted, frowns. Rei turns off the shower in order to eavesdrop. "What? Of course you're coming along, don't be silly." Hiro's smile is bright, but his eyes remain sharp, concerned.

Akai's voice echoes in the small bathroom. It stabs right through Rei's heart with how flat and quiet it is.

"Don't bother. I messed up. He's gone."

Damnit.

Hiro shoots Rei an exasperated look, rolls his eyes, and then proceeds to throw him under the bus.

"He's not gone. He's right here, with me."

That back-stabbing son of a- Is this payback for breaking into his room? To make things worse?

"Apologies for stealing him away for a moment. I lost my keys and had him fetch me the replacements."

Oh.

It's an obvious lie - Rei wouldn't drive under the influence, and Akai was right there. It would have made more sense to tell the sniper - but Hiro says it with the same inherent confidence as someone stating that the earth revolves around the sun. It doesn't allow for questioning of his authority.

Akai is very quiet on the other end of the line.

"He'll be right back with you, faster than you can blink. Won't you, Furuya?"

Rei flinches. Hiro hasn't called him that in private in years, possibly decades.

His best friend holds the phone at him with the most saccharine smile, wiggles it encouragingly.

Rei's stupid heart beats too strongly, knowing Akai is on the other end of the line, knowing he was ready to walk out of their plans because he thought he ruined something, when it was Rei who ran away, didn't even bother to give an excuse, had to rely on Hiro to cover him-

"...yes. Stay where you are." Rei's voice is rough, doesn't want to cooperate, but he manages to wring the words out. He should apologize. He wants to apologize-

"Understood." With another beep, the line goes dead, and the words he couldn't get out die on Rei's lips.

He hands back the phone, straightens himself up. He can't figure this out alone, but maybe, together with Akai, it could be possible. They've faced worse odds before, and walked back out alive, after all. Rei can only hope he hasn't already damaged things beyond repair before they even started.

"Alright, Zero. Get out, go back home, work things out with him." Hiro unlocks the door, shoos him out. "And next time you need something, please at least call ahead. I promise you I'll have your back, in person or otherwise."

Rei just nods and hurries away. The last thing he hears from beyond the door is a sleepy officer Yamamura. "Oh good, you're back. I was starting to wonder whether you'd been murdered and put in the shower to muddle the time of death-"

Maybe the guy does deserve his detective rank. But Rei really wants to stop thinking about Hiro's love life. He has enough to worry about with his own.

.

The way home is hazy. A taxi might have been involved? Rei can't quite remember having brought his wallet, but maybe he did. Or maybe Hiro gave him some cash? He's been running on anxiety and adrenaline for too long; they're collecting their due, leaving him dazed.

He drags himself up the stairs, to his flat on the second floor. Fumbles with his keys, unable to fit them into the lock. On the third attempt, he finally manages to calm himself enough to stop his hands from shaking. He pushes against the door, and-

-it won't open past a third of the way. Rei shoves again. There's a little give, but ultimately it won't open. What the hell?

He pokes his head around to see Akai sitting on the step in his entryway, one long leg extended, blocking the door.

"...what are you doing?"

Akai keeps staring at the floor. "Exactly what you told me to."

It's too early for games. Or maybe it would be too late? Time has lost its meaning. Regardless, Rei bristles. "I didn't-"

Wait.

"Oh, for the love of- you were allowed to make yourself comfortable!"

Akai just shrugs, won't even look at him. "A minor inconvenience wasn't worth the possibility to upset you."

If that was his goal, then Akai has failed miserably. Rei has half a mind to chew him out for his idiocy - anger, always the first response, easy to reach for even in a sleep-deprived haze. The floor must have been so cold, keeping in position for more than half an hour uncomfortable and completely unnecessary - before it sinks in.

"Let me into my own damn flat, Akai."

That's his idiot on the floor. Waiting for him to come back, hoping that he would. Half-dressed already - he must have called Hiro on his way out the door. Trying to make space so when Rei returned, he wouldn't have to deal with him. Akai's emergency duffel sits beside him, the carrying strap already slung over his shoulder. He was just going to extract himself, leave without a trace-

A wave of nausea hits Rei. He barely manages to hold onto the door in an attempt to keep himself steady.

"As you wish." Akai draws his leg back.

The door gives.

And Rei falls.

Damnit. He didn't think that one through.

.

The impact comes much earlier, and softer, than Rei expected.

That would be concerning, if his flayed nerves weren't soothed by warmth, the scent of familiar detergent and the soft fabric of an even more familiar sweater. He's just about ready to pass out where he stands - in Shuuichi's arms, the safest place to be.

But he can't, he needs to-

Akai drags him the rest of the way inside the flat, holds him against the door while he locks it. The interplay of muscles working against him is horribly distracting, when Rei's trying to gather enough of his mind to say what he needs to say-

Akai turns them, as if leading in a dance. The world spins on its axis, a gravitational pull towards Akai; and then Rei's sat down on the step in his entryway, gentle as the first snow.

Squatting down do meet him, Akai looks at him, for the first time this morning - quiet, guarded, carefully gaging Rei's reaction.

(But still, unable to help himself. Couldn't sit idly by, while Rei could get hurt.)

Rei doesn't deserve him.

And yet, he's here.

He's still here.

Waiting.

"Are you alright?"

It's too soft, too concerned.

The world blurs out of focus, and his lungs struggle to take in enough air through shallow gasps.

"Can I-"

Zero hesitation. "Whatever you need."

Rei finds the hem of Shuuichi's sweater more through touch than vision, grabs it, and drags him into his chest for a bone-crushing hug. In Rei's fuzzy, spinning world, he alone remains constant.

"I'll say this only once, so you had better listen", he mutters into his lover's hair.

(Because that's what this is, isn't it? That nauseous, burning feeling, constricting his chest. Love.)

"I'm sorry I left while you were still asleep." 'I'm sorry I turned tail and ran. I'm sorry I got scared.'

Shuuichi squirms in his arms until he manages to look up at Rei. "You came back for me as soon as you could." His small smile is so earnest and hopeful, Rei wants to-

Oh.

He can, now.

So he kisses Shuuichi.

'Always. For as long as you'll have me.'

.

"This is a tad dramatic, though, for merely helping out Morofushi." There's amusement in Shuuichi's voice, and he bumps their foreheads together. Surely, he must have seen through their lie, but it seems like he's leaving Rei an easy out.

He feels himself get lightheaded with relief, the tension seeping out of his muscles. The composition of his budy has been turned into putty, while he wasn't paying attention. He leans into Akai.

"Shut up. It's been a long day." They need to talk, but it will have to wait. Even just getting up and walking seems like a challenge, as he is.

"You didn't sleep at all, did you?" Concern mixed with amusement, the most irritating of combinations, especially from Akai. "Let's get you to bed."

Shuuichi kneels in front of Rei to unlace his boots and remove them - a very flattering position that is going to haunt his dreams. He's helped out of his coat, and though he insists he can walk, Shuuichi has the gall to shut him up with a kiss, and pick him up while Rei's mind is otherwise pre-occupied.

"Just focus on resting up."

When Shuuichi deposits him in the bed and turns to leave, Rei drags him back under the covers with him.

.

Rei wakes, alone, to the sizzle of oil and the smell of eggs on the verge of burning. He drags himself out of bed almost automatically, ready to save Azusa's attempt at scrambled eggs - only to realize he's not at the café, and instead stare in horror at his own kitchen, and the mess therein. He really wants to go lie back down.

(Mostly because Shuuichi's cooking at the stove, in his cream sweater and the black apron Rei kept from Poirot. He's tied a utilitarian ribbon at the back, the ends of which dangle down, highlighting the curve of his ass. It gives Rei too many ideas, too early in the day.)

He fetches himself a glass of water instead, observing the sniper move through his territory and grumbling: "You really have to stop attempting to murder me."

Shuuichi glances up from his attempts at rolling the tamagoyaki in its pan with a too-soft smile. Despite the appealing scent of his endeavours, Rei's stomach churns and flutters. He probably couldn't keep anything down if he tried.

"Surely my cooking is at least passable, by now." There's unconcealed pride in his smile, as he adds: "The last time Masumi arranged a family dinner, even Shiho commended me on my soup making skills."

"That's not what I meant." He nudges Shuuichi aside, pours more egg into the pan in order to save the poor tamagoyaki.

One of these days, that smile is going to kill him. But for now, he'll save the food and kiss it off Shuuichi's annoyingly smug face later.

And after breakfast, they'll talk.

.

Sweater weather AU masterpost

[sumiink]

Sumi's Fic Recs

I've been saving a list of fan fiction I like for years now and thought I should share it!

Fandoms include Danny Phantom, DPxDC, Batman, DCMK, BNHA, and Miraculous Ladybug, Legend of Zelda (Linked Universe), Mob Psycho 100, and Genshin Impact. Links, summaries, and comments under the cut.

Danny Phantom

Phantom of Truth by Haiju

NOTE: An edited/updated version of the sequel (Shadow of a Doubt) is also on AO3, but not finished. The finished, unedited version can be found on FF.net here.

Summary: Locked away in a secret government lab with Phantom as her sole object of study, nothing stands between Maddie and the truth... except, perhaps, herself.

Review: You can’t talk about Danny Phantom fanfic without bringing up Phantom of Truth. This one defines the vivisection genre. It’s written in Maddie’s perspective and you can see her character in every little detail of the writing.

Treading Water by TheFullCatastrophe

Summary: "This is the story of why we had to start calling Danny Fenton, Danny FINton. Get it, Danny? 'Cause you have FINS? Oh, I kill me." - a summary by Tucker Foley.

Review: Mermaid AU! Another classic fandom fic, this one with great worldbuilding and some dark, realistic vibes that make the ghosts (well, mermaids) really feel dangerous.

Modern Day Ghost Girl by MemoryWriter

Summary: Wendy Manson, 14-year old freshman in Casper High. Recently she's been able to sense ghosts, and on the day Wendy's paranormal curiosity gets the best of her, her project partner and ex-best friend Shane happens to follow her. When she meets a mysterious ghost in the abandoned apartment, what of her identity will she be discovering?

Review: One of the first fics I ever read, so it holds a special place in my heart.

Outside Looking In by Ellen_Brand

Summary: Casper High's new psychiatrist has some interesting interviews ahead of him.

Review: A great outside perspective into Danny. Also I just like Cade!

Phantom’s Sketchbook by AkoyaMizuno

Summary: Mr. Lancer finds himself in an unparalleled situation, he has access to something which can give him incredible insight into the personal workings of Amity Park's local ghost teen hero, Danny Phantom.

Review: Another fandom classic! A must read for the student/teacher relationship between Mr. Lancer and Danny.

You Should Be Dead by SapphireDragon11

Summary: Dash and Kwan are horrified to discover they've accidentally killed their classmate, but perhaps even more so when he shows up at school the next day. With his secret on the line, Danny soon discovers Dash and Kwan are the least of his worries.

Review: An epic story of Danny going up against incredible odds! One of my absolute favorites!

DPxDC

But I Want to Be Let In, Not Out by TheWritingOwl

NOTE: Actually a series of one-shots!

Summary: Growing up with the Fentons, Danny resigned himself to the fact that he would never see Damian again. However, when he gets summoned to Gotham after becoming the Ghost King, he finds himself reuniting with his long lost twin.

Review: Some nice demon twins au with batfam elements- all the stuff I like in a DPxDC fic.

close enough to be whole again by hailsatanacab

Summary: “If you ever find yourself in danger, go to Bruce Wayne. He will help you.”     His mother had loved him, in her own way. If she hadn’t, she wouldn’t have helped him escape. If she hadn’t, she would have dragged him back to the League of Assassins, to Grandfather. If she hadn’t, he’d be dead.     She loved him, but she loved the League more.     Jack and Maddie Fenton loved him too, they did, but they loved their work more.     They loved their work more.     --     After his parents react poorly to his reveal, Danny escapes to the only person he thinks can help him - Bruce Wayne. He doesn't know what to expect when he gets there, but it has to be better than where he is, surely? He certainly doesn't expect to be reunited with his long lost twin brother Damian. It's funny how things work out that way.     Danny is 16 years old, not Phantom Planet compliant

Review: More angsty demon twins AU with secret identity shenanigans, what’s no to love?

Recognized by AgentIanLegend

Summary: When they heard the fateful words "Recognized: Robin - B01," nothing could have prepared them for the web of secrets which would unravel as Daniel Fenton and Richard Grayson search for answers.

Review: An epic story will all kinds of twists and turns. Very will written with great pacing and tight storytelling!

Batman

hand in unloveable hand (a chokehold) by britishparty

Summary: Tim Drake is eleven years old when he’s grabbed off the streets of Bristol while he’s on his way home. It will be okay, he tells himself: they’ll call his parents, and they’ll pay the ransom, and he’ll get to go home.

There are pictures of Batman and Robin on the camera he was carrying. A lot of pictures.

They don’t call his parents. They call Black Mask.

- or: the one where Black Mask kidnaps Tim and tries to groom him into a ruthless heir, and Tim tries to figure out how to destroy him from the inside out.

Review: Tim is great in this. This one is full of scheming and mind games and all that good stuff.

From When He Sprang by WereDog15

Summary: January 2012. For the last four years, Jason Todd has been living on the streets of Gotham, doing whatever he can in order to survive on his own. But one night, as he emerges from his dwelling in Gotham’s underground tunnels, he encounters the legendary dynamic duo of Batman and Robin.A little bit of help can go a long way, but Jason's world is ripped apart as he is unintentionally put in the path of one of the deadliest secret societies that the world has ever known.Discover the story of the event that changed their lives forever, and put Jason on the path to becoming the second Robin.

Review: THIS FIC. It’s creative, it’s dark, it’s gory - this one makes me feel like I’m back in middle school reading The Hunger Games for the first time. This fic does not pull any punches.

Liminal Spaces by Calamityjim

NOTE: A multi-part series with some extra one-shots too

Summary: Bruce's habit of collecting strays is not limited by dimension. Or When Young Justice Batman comes across an angsty, seemingly abandoned by his Batman Tim Drake, he decides to step up to the plate and parent the crap out of him.

Review: Oh this one is a long, epic story with all kinds of twists and turns. And lots and lots of emotional batfam moments.

A Gentlekid Thief by Blazonix

Summary: Tim didn't mean to become the notorious thief Red X; it just sort of happened. Just like how he somehow wound up being Batman’s greatest nemesis - his therapist. He would like to remind whatever higher forces are out there that he is still only 12.

Review: Funny and clever!

From the Shadows by Wolfsbanesparks

NOTE: Shazam crossover

Summary: All Billy Batson wanted was to survive a particularly rough week living on the streets of Fawcett City. The last thing he was looking for was a new family. All Bruce Wayne wanted was to learn a bit more about his upbeat teammate under the guise of official Wayne Enterprises business. But he could never turn his back on a child in need. Especially one as surrounded by mystery as Billy. OR   Billy gets adopted by the Batfamily while trying to deal with a strong magical enemy.

Review: I’m always a fan of gen fic that also has an overarching story and great villain!

Shutterbye by katiesparks

Summary: The more I research it, the more I know it has to be true. Dick Grayson is Robin. And that means Bruce Wayne is Batman. All the pieces fit. I move my Dick and Bruce Wayne things into the Batman and Robin box and buy an extra lock for it.

Review: One-shot written from a young Tim’s perspective. The writing style really brings his character to life.

Surveillance by smilebackwards

NOTE: A multi part series

Summary: Tim knows antagonizing Lex Luthor wasn’t exactly his safest move but the point is really driven home by the bullet to the shoulder. Or: The AU where Jason never died and Tim is a civilian who contributes to crime fighting by taking surveillance photos and leaving them on the desktop of the Batcomputer.

Review: Gotta love some ‘stalker Tim gets involved in hero stuff without actually wearing a cape’ stuff.

Detective Conan & Magic Kaito

(Don’t) Believe What You Know by discordiansamba

NOTE: This fic is actually a rewrite, buuuuuut I saved the older, longer version if you want to read that one instead. Available here (I just copy and pasted it, so formatting may be a little weird)

Summary: For as long as he's known him, Hattori Heiji has always seemed to gotten mixed up in cases with a sort of... supernatural touch. Honestly, Conan's never thought much of it- it's not as if the things that go bump in the night are actually real, and they've got countless cases behind them to prove just that.But after getting mixed up in a strange case in Osaka and learning a disturbing secret from Heiji's past, its left Conan wondering if there's more his friend isn't telling him. So he does what any good detective would- investigate.He's just... not sure he was ready for the answers.

Review: I am a huge of discordiansamba’s writing! It very descriptive and the stories tend to have a lot of interesting moving parts. This fic in particular is great for its worldbuilding and the magical, dangerous adventures Heiji gets involved in. And Heiji trying to hide stuff from Conan always makes for some good tension.

Blood and Snow by discordiansamba

Summary: Heiji Hattori has never believed in the supernatural. Things like vampires have always been a bunch of nonsense to him. But the supernatural is about to prove itself very real.

Review: If you like the last one, you’ll like this one too – another supernatural adventure focusing on Heiji!

Unprofessional Opinion by Ellen_Brand

Summary: A series of psychologicalpersonality profiles of our boys... with guest shrink Cade Maboroshi!

Review: I just like Cade! And an outsider’s perspective is always fun, especially in this writing style.

The Case of the Magic Bullet Murder by MirrorandImage

NOTE: Technically a sequel, but I didn’t read the first one and wasn’t lost. There’s also a third fic that’s good too!

Summary: As always Conan stumbles across another body; and this time the prime suspect is this high school kid named Kuroba Kaito. Sequel to The Case of the Hidden Epidemic.

Review: We get to see Conan interact with Kaito, and that always makes for fun secret identity shenanigans. And we even get to see Kaito get involved in solving a case!

Insanity, Apparently by Taliya

NOTE: A series of one shots

Summary: Takagi Wataru would like to register a complaint to whichever deity thought it would be hilarious to toss him into odd situations with Kaitou KID. Repeatedly. Because this was far beyond his pay grade.

Review: A fun story with a mix of characters you don’t see very often.

Be a Better Me by Lisa_Telramor

Summary: Kaito thought that the Robot Incident ended with the destruction of his copycat robot. He couldn't have guessed how wrong that assumption was when he is injured months later.

Review: Wonderfully angsty and doesn’t shy away from the horror of Kaito’s new reality.

Guide you home by Tobina

NOTE: Uses Guide & Sentinel tropes, which I’d never heard of before but I guess it used to be popular in fanfic in the 90’s? Basically Sentinels have superpowers and Guides help them control it. The two tend to be lifelong partners, but it can be romantic or familial or platonic.

Summary: As a Level 5s Sentinel and skillful detective, Kudou Shinichi helps the Tokyo Police Department whenever they get stuck with a case, his Guide Ran at his side to ground him when needed. After a KID heist, it becomes clear that Guides are dissapearing and Shinichi and his western counterpart Hattori Heiji are knee-deep into the case, especially because this one hits far too close to home for comfort. When then even phantom thief Kaitou KID gets involved, things are bound to get... interesting.

Review: A GREAT story that does a good job with worldbuilding and characters’ relationships. While it focuses on Conan, my favorite part of this fic is the arc the Kaito goes through and the way this story takes a look at his motivations and moral compass.

It's Raining Men, Hallelujah by Asuka Kureru

Summary: Conan already has some kind of corpse magnet power, but when Heiji is in his orbit the corpses actively come to them. From above. Witness.

Review: A fandom classic! Short and hilarious.

Inconceivable by joisbishmyoga

Summary: In the face of a DNA analysis Kaito can't deny, he begins uncovering the rest of his family's secrets. Too bad he's not the only one looking.

Review: An epic story that has a takedown of the Black Org AND twin AU, what’s not to love?

Secrets in Indigo by Sinnatious

Summary: A throwaway comment about Kaitou KID’s eye colour sets Kaito on an uncomfortable path of discovery.

Review: I can’t give too many spoilers! An overall great story with great writing as Kaito discovers secrets and also tries to keep them hidden.

The Young Royals of Deduction by joisbishmyoga

NOTE: One shot

Summary: The Exclusive Interview with Four Children Taking the Investigative World by Storm

Review: Short but fun!

My Hero Academia

The Thin Gray Line by A_ToastToTheOutcasts

Summary: The beauty of the era of quirks wasn't the amazing abilities; it was that nobody sane would even entertain the thought that Kuroko, the most wanted vigilante in all of Japan, was Quirkless.

Review: A vigilante AU with a badass Deku (or, in this case, Kuroko) who puts the whole Hero Commisison to shame. The rivalry between Deku and Bakugou is so intense in this fic, I love it.

Yesterday Upon the Stair by PitViperOfDoom

Notes: When you’re done with this, there’s also a fun related one-shot by another author called U.A. Unsolved by kabukichou (ameliafromafairytale)

Summary: Midoriya Izuku has always been written off as weird. As if it's not bad enough to be the quirkless weakling, he has to be the weird quirkless weakling on top of it. But truthfully, the "weird" part is the only part that's accurate. He's determined not to be a weakling, and in spite of what it says on paper, he's not actually quirkless. Even before meeting All-Might and taking on the power of One For All, Izuku isn't quirkless. Not that anyone would believe it if he told them.

Review: An epic story full of secrets and ghosts!

Hero Class Civil Warfare by RogueDruid (Icarius51)

Summary: Heroes lead by Bakugo. Villains lead by Midoriya. Seven days prep time. Three days for Izuku Midoriya to show why they should be glad he's not a real villain.

Review: Badass Deku going all out and scaring his classmates. This one uses nearly every character from class 1-A and 1-B and manages to make everyone have an impact on the story!

Tales of the Jade Mantis by Chess_Blackfyre

NOTE: A multi-part series

Summary: The adventures of Inko Midoriya, Number One Vigilante in all of Japan, and her complicated relationship with the Number One Hero, All Might. However, it's not all about kicking butt and taking names, watch as the telekinetic in the leather jacket struggles with things like brutal mentors, working in customer service, and trying to be a good single parent.

Review: The only fic I’ve found with Inko as a vigilante! Quite the journey, this one goes over her career as a vigilante and what comes after when Izuku suddenly has a quirk. I love the weird adventures Inko gets up to and the interesting people she meets. One of my all time favorites!

Monochrome Skies by QuantumPoint

Summary: Midoriya Izuku died four years ago. Midoriya Izuku dead in a housefire when his mother didn’t notice him come home early. Midoriya Izuku dead because heroes failed to hear the screams of a scared child. Midoriya Izuku dead alone and scared.His mother mourned him but went on with her life. The heroes swore to be better, but still made the same mistakes. And for four years, everyone believed he was until Aizawa caught sight of a well-known vigilante and decided to investigate. Everyone believed it until Yagi bumped into a kind child on the street and tried to give him hope.

Review: I can’t say much because spoilers, but if you’re an artist, read this.

brilliant lights will cease to burn (by my hands i’ll reignite them) by novalotypo

NOTE: It’s a Card Captor Sakura crossover, but honestly I’ve never seen that and as far as I can tell this doesn’t have much to so with that show. It’s BNHA characters and world with some Card Captor magic elements.

Summary: Midoriya Izuku is quirkless. This, he knows very well.This is also what he knows:Weekends and vacations are reserved for walking neighborhood dogs. The elderly are the most powerful people on Earth. Local gods are picky eaters. Trust is a feeble, feeble thing. Magic cards are incredibly difficult to seal, especially when the world thinks you're a vigilante. Heroes are not magicians, but magicians can be heroes.Becoming a cardcaptor wasn't on Izuku's bucket list, but he'll be damned if he doesn't make the best out of it.

Review: Deku doesn’t have a quirk, so he gets sucked up into some magical card captor responsibilities and goes all out, as he does. This one has an analytical Deku, otherworldly magic, creepy villains, and some tension between a vigilante Deku and hero society as a whole. One of my absolute favorites!

Quirk: Knife! by brightredwings

Summary: Izuku Midoriya is unlucky, to say the least and life hasn't exactly been kind. Things weren't so bad in the beginning, but once he was diagnosed quirkless, well, it all went to shit. Everyone grew to hate him, even his best friend and own father.Was it really that impossible to become a hero without a quirk? It doesn't really matter because to Izuku, the term hero is flexible. He'll be his own hero because he's learnt from his own experience, people are selfish and the only one he can rely on is himself.Left alone to fend for himself in the world, Izuku goes out to change things on his own terms, despite his methods being slightly illegal. Keyword, slightly. It's only illegal if he gets caught, right?

Review: A long story with great arcs for a lot of League of Villains character, and a beautiful ending. Some pretty intense angst with happy endings for everyone.

Roses are red and they taste like shit by Unbreakable_Red_Riot

Summary: Katsuki was really fucking sick of the smell of flowers.

Review: Ah, yes, KiriBaku with hanhaki disease. Mostly from Bakugou’s point of view, so you get to see all his frustration and a ton of drama. Also looks into some other characters like Midoriya and Todoroki, which is a nice touch.

The Beauty of a Beast by starofgems

Summary: Once upon a time a lonely beast lived in a manor deep in the forest. He dreamed of the day his true love appeared to break his curse... When a beauty finally appears in his life, it is not quite as he imagined. For who could have thought a beauty would be more of a beast. Or The beauty and the beast AU nobody asked for but here it is.

Review: A very sweet love story. (KiriBaku)

The Deaf Hero: Deku by BeyondTheClouds777

Summary: His whole life, Izuku was told that he couldn’t do it. That he should give up while he still had the chance. That someone like him—Deaf, Quirkless—could never become a hero.But Izuku wasn’t going to give up. Not now and not ever. (OR, the one where nearly everything's the same, but Izuku is Deaf.)

Review: Right what it says on the tin. Deku’s added deafness creates more tension between Deku and Bakugou, his classmates, and even other heroes. Things get angsty but Deku always stays determined, which I love.

Miraculous Ladybug

Where Have All The Heroes Gone and Where Are All The Gods? by Anthemyst

NOTE: This is actually part 5 of a series, but I just started with this one and didn’t feel lost. Just know that in this story, Gabirel isn’t Hawkmoth. Most of this was written before Season 1 ended, I think.

Summary: On their fourteenth birthday, the Agreste triplets' world is turned upside down. Their government has been overthrown, their city taken, and superheroes all over Europe have suddenly and mysteriously vanished-including, to their shock, their parents. They'll need to work together, and become the heroes Paris needs, if they're going to save both their parents and their country.

Review: A next-gen fic that got me into ML fanfic in general! It’s got a fun dystopian vibe and the Agreste kids are all fleshed out very nicely. One of my absolute favorites!

Not A Bit by CaptainOzone

Summary: "Sometimes, being a brother is even better than being a superhero," says author Marc Brown. Félix Agreste has been both, and he can't have said it better himself. (AKA The Brothers AU I wanted to read but had to write myself when I realized this AU has a depressing lack of fic to its name)

Review: I’m always a fan of fic that has Marinette and Adrien AND Felix and Bridgette.

Legend of Zelda (Linked Universe)

Looking for Group by Tashilover

Summary: People want to be a Hero so badly, they're willing to bribe, lie, cheat, and beg. Twilight knows there's a Hero amongst the people in this college town. It's just a matter of finding them.

Review: The modern setting keeps things fresh, yet this story is still full of legends, danger, and a fight of good vs evil!

Mob Psycho 100

tomorrow isn’t always another day by suitablyskippy

NOTE: One shot

Summary: It’s like Reigen’s been waiting for the question. He stops dead on the pavement, grips Mob by the shoulders, and stares down into his eyes with an expression as haunted as though every ghost the pair of them has ever exorcised has taken up residence behind it. “Mob,” he says. “Mob,” he says again. “Tell me, Mob. Look at me and tell me. Tell me truthfully. Do I look cursed to you?”Mob looks at him, and tells him truthfully. “No.”“Well, you didn’t look very long,” says Reigen. “Let’s just stand here for a moment, like so, and you can have another look, a nice long look, and really think about it...” (There's nothing strange about being called back to exorcise the same haunted photocopier six days in a row. It must just be a very haunted photocopier.)

Review: THIS WHOLE CONEPT IS HILARIOUS

Genshin Impact

Traveler’s search for Scaramouche by Scuriel

NOTE: A choose your own adventure story!

Summary: Ei wants Traveler to search for Scaramouche and get back her gnosis. They have many decisions to make along the way.

Review: Don’t see something like this very often! There are actually a lot of different outcomes.

[akai-anna]

Now for my dear DCMK exchange gift giver. I come with some fic recs and a couple of headcanons for our favourite certified lil guy.

A selection of personal fic recs of the platonic/familial/friendship kind (sprinkled with a bit of romance too). Please note that all these fics come back to one thing: Shinichi/Conan is involved, as he tends to be my main focus (also I'm a huge Found Family trope lover, as you might be able to tell from some of these recs). I also decided to forgo my soulmate AU recs, since it seems you likely know those! (Though, if you'd ever like more fic recs... just let me know. And I hope you'll find one or two on this list that you haven't yet read and you'll like!)

warm soup on a frigid night: Detective Boys centric, my heart melted gosh.

Once and For All: another Detective Boys centric fic, I'M SCREAMING thEY ARE SO PRECIOUS.

A Friend In Need: Kaitou KID centric, really love how organic this fic is, both from KID's and Shinichi's POV.

You Have an Hour: Sonoko's POV and an extremely funny and relatable fic.

You're okay, you're safe: oh, my beloved Sakura Trio, also from Sonoko's POV which I adore, and Sonoko's feelings in this... I feel her.

Switched: KID centric, FREAKING BODY SWAP, and so well written too, very fun read.

Guide you home: I love the Guide/Sentinel universe so much, this has romantic KaiAo, Heizuha, ShinRan, and lots of other platonic combinations, this is also a case fic and emotional.

Identity: One of my favourite scenarios, OCCHAN AND RAN BEING AWARE FROM THE BEGINNING, MY HEART-

Code Red: KOGOROU CENTRIC, let him shine!

The Cloning Secret: do you want to read something absolutely heart-wrenching, disturbing, yet absolutely brilliant? Go no further. We warned: this is a work in progress.

Misconceptions, Illusions, and Lies (and Other Forms of Fair Play): I absolutely adore this fic, the idea of Ran and KID working together, also bonus points for different POVs, also a work in progress.

Shenanigans in Beika: one of my ultimate favourite fic series, off all time, the interactions in this are just way too charming and precious and dear. Also a work in progress.

until the flowers bloom again: same author (yes, one of my favourite authors, sue me) as Shenanigans in Beika, involves the Detective Boys and ShinRan, and my heart just... gosh, this fic is so precious.

Hidden Epidemic: I love the first part the most, but this as a whole has a lot of headcanons incorporated into it that I love to bits. Lots of POV changes, and so many characters (Detective Boys, Heiji, Kazuha, KID, Ran and so on)

pet: super short, but also SUPER CUTE, absolutely in love with the idea of Ai having a cat. (one of my favourite authors for the fandom)

(the space between) where you smile and hide: one of the very few and precious Kazuha POV fics, especially her thinking about Shinichi. (also one of my favourite authors, and if you like one Hattori Heiji, I highly rec holly's other fics too)

Observations: my ultimate favourite fic involving Takagi Wataru, part of it is from his POV too, and it has so many great things about it. (VERMOUTH!!! Also Heiji and Satou working together! And most importantly: Takagi finally getting an answer to his Question.)

All Night Gang: I ADORE THIS FIC SO SO SO MUCH, THE FACT THAT KAZUHA AND RAN GET TO FINALLY KNOW. Also the adorable chatting in the first part. All the different POVs later on. And all the FEELINGS AND HEADCANONS AND THE THING THIS FIXES ABOUT CANON FOR ME. I'M so grateful for the existence of this fic.

Nothing To Lose: Detective Boys, PRECIOUS CHILDREN, they just miss their friend, this fic made me so emotional, dammit. SHINICHI YOU FCKIN IDIOT-

Family of the heart: God. This fic. THIS FIC. I LOVE PARENTAL MOURI KOGOROU WITH A PASSION.

never were and not anymore: this series? Damn. The shapeshifter concept in it is MARVELOUS AND MASTERFUL. The way it got merged into the universe, and how it changed events. Also THE RELATIONSHIPS IN THIS KILL ME in the best way.

Scion: I absolutely adore this author, and this is one of my ultimate favourite fics involving Shinichi and KID. The supernatural element is so exquisitely fitting into the universe, and how Shinichi's feelings are so complex, and the teamwork... just. Everything about this fic pulls at my heartstrings.

As for personal headcanons for Shinichi/Conan, here is a few:

Shinichi/Conan is neurodivergent as fck. I personally like to think he is on the autism spectrum, but I'm very flexible on the exact nature. One thing for sure: he is not neurotypical. At. All.

HE'S A CERTIFIED PENCIL BITER YOUR HONOUR!!! (IT'S NOT EVEN A HEADCANON AT THIS POINT- *GETS HIT*)

No one can tell me, No One, that after all these traumatic experiences this child doesn't experience panic attacks or PTSD.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE STOPPED PLAYING SOCCER, HE LOVES SOCCER!! (The kids are totally the reason he got more involved in soccer again, YOU HEAR ME-)

Shinichi keeping gloves on his person for Crime Scene Examination Purposes, At All Times.

Shinichi having his own shorthand, you cannot tell me he doesn't TAKE NOTES, he so totally WOULD. (HE HAS A NOTEBOOK ON HIM!!! AND SOMETHING TO WRITE WITH!!! OFC HE WOULD HAVE AN EFFECTIVE WAY TO TAKE NOTES!!!)

Thank you for your attention, may you have a blessed day, darling!

[runecel]

Dear @jigen-papa

I Runecel/Celerine/ @lossinicognito (I know save the applause, I have 3 identities and a secret 4th if I should ever reveal that one haha!) am your giftee for the @dcmk-exchange ! Now I know what you are thinking.

Apologies for my random disappearance, I wasn’t sure how to reply to you in rythmatic format but I genuinely adored how you played along and I loved your poem it was so good!?

ALSO WHERE THE FUDGE IS MA BOI HEIJI!?!?

And to that I say!

This was supposed to originally be a multi chapter fic however! I didn't want to go beyond the deadline and may never know when the second chapter is completed so I at least wanted to make something for you before I go into the deep end haha.

Here is the ao3 version of the fanfic: https://archive.org/works/5321279

And I hope ya have an amazing day now without further a due!

Sonoko’s Confrontation With Love

The first time a conversation about phones and Shinichi was brought up resulting in the incarceration of one idiotic teenage detective occurred on a bright, and sunny day of which Sonoko was internally screaming in her thoughts. To say that Shinichi’s umpteeth attempt to disappear in the night like a tuxedo mask would ever be what caused Sonoko’s life to become so stressful would be the understatement of the century. That incident was the cherry on top of an amazing ice cream at best and a footnote on the most awful (but irresistible) trial exam book at worst, no. What made Sonoko’s life so stressful, in her opinion, would just be Shinichi’s entire existence.

"Sonoko, stop being so dramatic,” is probably what her best friend would say. Well, Ran, the most beautiful being to ever god damn exist on this planet. Have you ever stopped to consider that this is KUDO SHINICHI THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT?

“I know you don’t mean it.” Yes, Ran, she 100% means it, and it’s going to stay that way if Ran doesn’t shut up about the next murder case Shinichi finds himself in because the last murder case already was in Tropical Land and he solved it within an hour.

“It was 3 hours, Sonoko.” 3 HOUR HER BUT! At the end of the day, she knows he can finish quicker because THIS IS KUDO SHINICHI THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT!

Hhe could easily solve that case if he wanted to, and he has a very amazing reason to do so as well! What gives him the right to leave such a beautiful lady like Ran towards her lonesomeness anyway? Anyone with eyes could snatch that beautiful angel away, taking her to high-budget cinema movie date and make out under the moonlight as Ran talks about how she successfully whooped another person in the ass. Heck, Sonoko could easily do it as well if she wanted two!

"Sonoko.” She bets it would be Sxhinichi’s as well! Imagine him coming back; ah, he would probably do one of those overly basic apologies that you would see in those romantic comedies that’s supposed to make the situation lighten up.

What will lighten up is his vision when Sonoko decided to beat the ever-loving daylight out of him.

“Sonoko” Then again, it’s much better if Ran was the one to do it with Sonoko at her side, punch him right in the gut as they both stare down at Shinichi’s rotting body before leaving him there.

Ran would hold her hand as they both could only gaze at the horizon, unsure of what their new-found freedom would hold but smiling, knowing it would be better.

“Sonoko!”

‘Rotten husband he is’ Sonoko thinks towards herself as she places herself amongst a poorly cushioned couch, he does nothing but torment the two. He would have been dead if Ran hadn’t want to marry him, and oh god; she’d probably go easy on him and then say something amongst the lines of.

‘Just don’t do it again,’ she would say to that bastard . It was probably best if Sonoko was the one to beat him up, teach him a lesson.

“Sonoko!” The imagining of Ran’s voice, an angelic choir with a acidic tinge reminiscent of those badass scenes in movies where the hot main character is holding a cool sword of which Sonoko would swoon for their rescue.

Yeah no Ran’s doing the beating. How could Sonoko not allow it with a voice like that? Heck, her presence is so strong that Sonoko might as well look like a fool by responding to her when she’s not even here.

“Yes Ran-chan?~” Sonoko's cheekish response becomes further more evident as she manoeuvres herself to be able to see behind her in expectation to see no one to respond to her.

“Don’t Ran-chan me!” Only to see the angel herself placing her hands on her hips with eyes ablaze as if she just witnessed a war crime. Sonoko would gladly be the one under that gaze under certain circumstances but sadly, today wasn’t one of them.

“I told you we shouldn’t have come, you were just recovering from illness!” Ran harshly protested leaning towards Sonoko's forehead to determine her current temperature.

Foreheads touching, Sonoko couldn’t help but stare with awe at the concerned look she was given by Ran whose deep lilac eyes could only stare at her with worry. Placing her hand amongst Ran’s silken hair, she give her head a few pets before flinging herself back onto the couch

“I’m fine Ran!” Sonoko exclaimed, dragging Ran down with her as Ran is placed by her side, head nestling on her shoulder in an attempt to look at something of which barely interests Sonoko.

It was probably the diary of which Sonoko was writing in with her internal Shinichi rants and her growing progress of becoming not sick.It was true that Sonoko was recovering but that doesn’t mean that Sonoko was unable to not stay at her house to fully recover. Wait, she's not at her house. . where is she?

Reclining alongside the couch she quickly paces herself up once more to scan the area of which with dread, she realised was not her room nor her couch. The wooden bench is decorated strongly amongst the grovery of nature surrounding her as she finds herself amidst a small crowd of people bustling around what seems to be a mall.

Shops were aligned quaintly organised as a staircase can be spotted signalling the entrance towards the cinema. Remembering the diary note she had entered, she quickly backtracked her memories towards her previous conversation with Ran about changing towards a different movie due to the movie (of which Sonoko had desperately wanted to watch) sharing too many themes with her disappeared beloved.

“So that’s why I was thinking about your husband,” Sonoko's dull groan filled the air, having finished her daily imaginary rant about Shinichi as she looked once more towards the movie selection on her pamphlet.

They had recently decided to go on a movie date due to the brat’s group of friends wanting to watch that new Kamen Yaiba they kept yapping about. Whilst the kids themselves tend to be left alone without surveillance, the group’s recent expedition resulted in a hostage situation and well. . .

A concerned parent will do what a concern does, resulting in the wife of Shinichi taking charge and declaring that she will be the one to take care of the kids in the meantime.

“Not my husband,” Ran countered, having now taken the pamphlet completely away from Sonoko to point at one of the movies that caught her interest.

“Stupid husband, I don’t feel like watching that one” Sonoko grumbled as she kicked her feet amongst the concrete floor before continuing her thought process.

It honestly would make sense why Sonoko had thought she was in the confinement of her luxurious room. Normally those imaginary rants are within the compounds of her room, feels safer there where she can ignore those thoughts of someone reading her thoughts and betraying Shinichi’s status amongst the media. She might hate the man but that doesn’t mean she wants to ruin his damned life, he already does enough of that.

‘How about this one? ' Sonoko pointed, notioning towards another romance movie of which she also wanted to watch but would have preferred to watch it at home.

“Is it possible if we pick something else?” Ran commented, eyeing on the watch on her wrist with great interest of which intrigued the confused Sonoko. “Preferably something under 2 hours”

‘Why’s that?” Sonoko queried, placing her slender arm amongst Ran’s broad shoulders in an attempt to see if there was anything else the queen herself couldn’t see.

“The movie is too long and if I don’t make it on time I won’t be able to strangle the person you just wanted to kill” Ran pointed, booping the shocked Sonoko on the nose as the confused female can only reboot.

“I said that out loud?”

“You don’t say stuff out loud?”

“RAN!” Sonoko puffed out, dragging out one of Ran’s hands as she quickly met Sonoko's forehead resulting in the two girls' foreheads to once more be touching.

“Just teasing,” Like the sun on a summer’s day, there was something truly intoxicating about Ran’s mischievous grin, the way just like her voice it is unexpected of when she will attack and thus Sonoko had a tendency to forget how cheeky Ran could be.

It would be like standing outside for too long, only to find out how immensely damaged you got from the sun resulting in the person going to the hospital and now they have skin cancer. . . ok that was a bit much.

Sonoko noted as she finally noticed the way Ran’s finger slowly pointed towards one of the movie suggestions.

To say Sonoko was unimpressed would be the opposite of an overstatement.

It was a movie adaption of both of her childhood’s friends' favourite tv series with both the mystery to appeal towards Shinichi and poetry to charm Ran. Sonoko could only nod along with disappointment, the poetry was nice but the audience wouldn’t hold a candle to the romance movie Sonoko had suggested. Goodbye potential love interests and hot men she could have sawn through watching the movie.

Hello nightmares of Shinichi staring like the shinigami himself, forcing Sonoko to listen more about his obsession with Sherlock. Don’t get Sonoko wrong, she two has raved towards Shinichi about her favourite obsessions (specifically romance) but to get that compared to a crime scene from one of his favourite books was not always a pleasant experience.

“Why can’t you just message him? I’m sure he can bother to read messages” Sonoko argued, sliding among a line of people waiting to buy a movie ticket.

“Well Sonoko, let me just grab my phone” Ran proclaimed, mimicking the movement of grabbing a phone out of her pocketed dress to only appear empty handed. “If memory serves me correctly I had lost my phone at an aquarium of which I told you about”

“You did?” Was now the best time for Sonoko’s memories to flunk on her now? Sonoko had specifically asked if she could be the one to gift her a phone with Ran responding it was Shinichi’s punishment. Like he’ll find a good phone for her.

“Also. . .” Ran stops in the middle of her explanation, face dreary in what Sonoko could only assume was another excuse for Shinichi making a dumb move.

“Also?”

“He hasn’t been calling me through his phone number” Ran ushered out, hands fiddling with her skirt as she silently looks down before continuing “ I don’t think he can even use it”

To say Sonoko didn’t know this information was a shock, she did and totally didn’t assume that Shinichi was blocking her for the 100th time whilst not recognising the fact she was the one to block him first resulting in an apology for her end.

“I’m sorry what?” Sonoko stuttered, thoughts completely emptied from this revelation of which she responded by turning towards Ran amidst the line of people that really wanted to watch a movie.

“It’s because of the-”

“Case! Case! I know, it’s always about cases with that man,” Sonoko angrily expressed, when was it not about a case in Shinichi’s eyes?

The cashier could only stare at them in complete tiredness when Sonoko had boldly asked two tickets before dragging Ran by the arm to a seated area inside the other side of the cinema lobby.

The cinema lobby itself luckily had a restaurant section for people like Sonoko and Ran to earth and wait for the perfect opportunity to head inside the cinema viewing when the timing is right. The movie wouldn’t start in a couple of minutes which gives more time for Sonoko to converse with Ran about the idiot at hand.

“One day he’s going to get himself into trouble and I’m not even sure if we can be there to help” silence can only be pursued as Sonoko couldn’t help but bite her tongue on what she just suggested.

“I had a dream about him” Ran stuttered out, barely containing her stress for those who know her as her quivering hands imply.

“Oh honey,” Sonoko expressed in sympathy like she had done so every time similar moments were to occur like today.

The truth was he had, very much so. Sonoko would have nightmares and at some point she questions whether those stories were fake or real due to how much trouble that murder magnet finds himself in. It was so simple when they were younger, when Shinichi wasn’t purely trusted by the police and thus wasn’t sent out on cases.

It would be a couple of minutes until the ad roll comes into play.

“Don’t worry about it Ran! He’ll be fine!” Sonoko assured, placing her hand towards Ran’s quivering one in reassurance.

“Are we even sure? He can’t even use his phone!”

“He probably lost it!”

“He doesn’t normally take cases this long Sono-” Ran cuts herself off in a mid-stutter as though she was contemplating on the next words she was about to say. - “He’s our age, why is he taking cases like this?”

“Because we befriended a murder magnet,” Sonoko sighed having one more relayed what she had always said towards the downturned Ran in need.

How can’t he see how amazing she is, truely. The girl’s stressing out about him and where is he? Probably nowhere for all they could know. He could really use someone to tell him- wait a minute.

“When’s the phone call?” Sonoko queried, body stiffened in anticipation upon what Ran could say in desperate hope.

“8:15pm” A whisper of a response from Ran was all Sonoko needed, eyes concentrated on the motivation. Sonoko could only speak from what she could gather from her chest.

It might not have been the best of speeches, but Sonoko could not just stand there as she watches her best friend shrivel up like this as if some random boy isn’t ruining her life..

Honestly it might have been the best speech Sonoko has performed since her poetry recital.

“We are going to watch that movie!”

“Sonoko-” A finger placed amongst her lips was all Ran needed before Sonoko could continue her amazing speech.

“-Hush darling, I’m speaking.” Sonoko notions towards the trouble Ran as her breathing slowly shortens enough for Sonoko to continue talking

“We are going to have fun,” Sonoko declares, standing proudly as her first part of her speech was completed. Poking at her best friend as she continues along. “WE are going to receive a call by that murder magnet at 8:15pm of which you will hear my yells of torment on how he could leave such a beautiful maid alone”

“Sonoko!-”

“- of which I will declare my love to you and we shall get married at sunset!” Sonoko finished with a flick of her wrist to allow Ran to softly rest on the palm of her hands.

“I’m not that beautiful,” Ran splutters, giving Sonoko an annoyed grin as though Ran has insulted her first hand.

Someone please remind Sonoko to reprimand Shinichi for not calling Ran cute, cause clearly Sonoko’s displays of admiration are not getting through Ran’s thick skull but then again. Neither did their upper classmate’s recreation of Shinichi’s speech give any hints so what does Ran know about density?

“No complaints from you, have you seen how the brat looks at you?” No seriously has Ran ever seen how the brat looked at Ran?

“He’s just a kid Sonoko!” Ran counters, somewhat disgruntled by the suggestion but from the tone of her relaxed voice to how rested she appears. Sonoko could honestly just take it as a win.

“Yeah, if you say a teenager possessing a brat is a brat then maybe I will believe you.” His mind could be much older at times, Sonoko noted, reminiscing the times of which one could see Conan at his most vulnerable.

Heck it was just recently when Sonoko noticed the way Conan looked at Ran when the two groups departed that afternoon. The face of sulken defeat as he quickly covers it in hopes of something good happening in the future. Sonoko should know, she bears that face on a daily basis.

“Sonoko!” The choir of laughter erupts from the pair as if a damn finally crashing amongst its weight.

Ran’s laugh was special, Ran herself was special and whilst Sonoko’s appearance is weak and someone who is unable to protect her. Sonoko does know one thing.

“Now what are we going to do Ran-chan?” Sonoko

“Have fun?”

“Have fun!” Sonoko confirmed, squishing the cheeks much to Ran’s dismay as she drags the poor girl into the cinema booth.

At the end of the day, Sonoko was there for support whether it be enabling or wingman in dating. Just like the day of which the first met underneath the sakura blossoms Sonoko associates with Ran, Sonoko will be there for Ran no matter what.

The movie was. . . fine. Deductions were never her interest and flowery poetry that was not about romance was definitely something that did not intrigued Sonoko. If given the opportunity to stay at home or to be at the cinema to waste money on a boring movie then Sonoko would pick the former.

But it was for Ran, Sonoko reminded herself, resting upon the chair as she reclined herself upon Ran’s shoulder. A faint cherry blossom smell could be noticed by Sonoko, a reminder of Ran’s as Sonoko slowly feels the sleep of her eyes settle more.

The movie was halfway over when she had noticed a small child enter the cinema booth unnoticed by most watching including Ran, too focused on the movie to bother noticing people entering and leaving. The child, reminiscent of another child Sonoko knew, quickly looked both ways before pocketing the glasses of which he was not using.

The child places himself on the chair with the dignity of someone about to die as Sonoko notices the pure paranoia emanating from the child as he once more scans the area of which no danger was present. Had Sonoko been awake a bit more she would have recognised the child whom she kept in prolonged contact with someone not of the brat but a childhood friend.

Their eyes glanced at each other but Sonoko was too tired to stay awake, too tired to notice when she had left the cinema or the conversation of which she held with Shinichi via phone, Sonoko’s phone no less. Not noticing the promises or unhinged way of how he talked but what she did notice however. Was the faint echo of her voice being heard when she goes outside of the cinema to notice the same brat with a bowtie clutched onto his hands speaking in the same manner of which Shinichi was speaking.

Sonoko knows her feelings, she knows how to see others such as the brat’s despair written across his face similar to that of a certain detective keeping face or a martial champion trying to focus on others before herself. She knows Shinichi’s feelings, the man of which Ran was talking to shared the same love of which Sonoko shared towards Ran, one day they will talk alone about these feelings but today was not today

Leaving the area and resting with Ran amongst their bed was comfortable as finally, sleep finally takes over Sonoko.