Shinichi sipped his coffee with a sigh, eyes going lidded with peace. The morning cold a soothing balm to his soul while he nursed his black tar close to his chest. The first morning rays of the sun sparkled down into the dewy plants.
'Good morning, Tokyo residents. This is NHK TV. It's a wonderful morning isn't it, Shiro-san?'
'Yes, a crisp 25°C. Not too warm, not to cold in the early September month'
The drone of the tv playing the morning news was like the early morning bustle as students and white collar workers ate breakfast and rushed to school or work.
He took a long sip of his coffee... and sighed. It's been a week since that night. Shinichi had waited faithfully for the next heist, hoping to apologise but so far... no luck. No news regarding a notice or a heist ever turned up in the news outlets Shinichi followed. The young blue eyed sleuth even went as far to using a favor with Nakamori-keibu so that he would be informed of the next heist.
The detective glanced at his side, his eyes squinted at his phone. Pursing his lips, he reached out. Long fingers fidgeted with the device, a tap there, a press of the buttons. He tried not to open the interface. He failed.
Swiping right, a picture of Kid disguised in a black hat and hoodie, grinning came up in the home settings. Shinichi's lips twitched, eyes indulgent at the photo. He tapped the search icon and typed, little coos of doves with each press of a key. Maybe he could just take a peek at the news regarding about the thief. Just a little.
Shinichi turned off his phone.
Suffice to say, he couldn't stop thinking about that night. The detective felt guilty, he didn't mean to hurt Kid. He was just terribly.... annoyed at that suit. That would be the nicer term.
Shinichi was sure Ran would be proud of him. Look, his social skills were improving.
It was more like Shinichi.... hated the suit... with a very very fiery conviction.
Don't get him wrong, the suit is certainly a classic. Iconic even, as it's Kid's signature suit. It's just that... it gets so repetitive.
(Maybe he should have articulated that better to Kid? The sleuth winced at his oversight and carelessness. Oh well, Shinichi never claimed he was good at talking to people.)
Christmas? Same suit. Summer? Same suit. Heck, even at a Halloween themed heist. Same suit. It's like the bane of Shinichi's existence.
(and as much as he thirsted after a certain thief, there would be no greater joy in his life than ripping that suit apart from that lovely pecs and Shinichi would find vindictive joy in the action)
Is it so hard for a man to just want to see his crush in a summer themed outfit? Preferably topless and shorts? Don't even get Shinichi started on the winter heist Kid held last year.
"Are you freezing?!" Shinichi nearly shrieked as Kid stumbled into the rooftop deck. The thief rubbed his arms, akin to a puppy out in the snow, Kid shivered.
The detective approached, arms holding out as Kid fell into them. The detective hissed at the coldness of his companion.
"I- I'd l-like... brrr... to- to say. I- I prefer the term 'cooling', Mei-meitantei", the thief said with a grin that looked half pained and half gremlin.
"Don't get smart with me, idiot theif!"
Suffice to say, Shinichi found out that the white suit lacked padding and thickness to protect Kid from the elements, not just winter. He was even baffled to find out Kid resorted to an absurd amount of stick-on heating pads just to last for an entire duration of a heist. How the thief never got a burn from those? Shinichi would never know.
Thus started Shinichi's not so secret vendetta against said suit. Never would have Shinichi thought, ever in his life, that he would dislike a suit this much. And as connoisseur regarding a certain thief, the detective bemoans the fact that there's already a severe lack of Kid materials to thirst from. So Kid choosing to wear said suit for every heist... was like feeding Shinichi's dehydration and not the good kind.
Closeted fanboy that he was, he really wanted for just one instance that Kid wears a different suit buttttt....Shinichi would rather die than ask the thief for any thirst materials.
A dry laugh escaped the blue eyes sleuth.
Shinichi nursed his hot 'alcohol', the determination of social animal hoping to avoiding social suicide fueling through his veins.
'No one can know, especially Kid,'
Shinichi was sure the thief would get a kick out of it.
Guzzling his tar, he was determined to do a good job at class and cases today. Shinichi got up from the stool, hand around his mug. Ready so that he could start his day, a sentence from the TV suddenly caught his attention.
'-Kid was spotted wearing a vest paired with his suit at a recent private heist, reported by the Metropolitan Tokyo Police'
Shinichi blinked. His mug dropping down gracelessly to the sink with a loud thunk.
Shinichi stood outside the police station, blankly staring out into the cars passing by.
"Kudo, ohh. You're here." Inspector Nakamori said, pleasantly suprised to see the young sleuth who recently asked him for a favor.
"Good afternoon, Nakamori-keibu. Thank you so much for humouring my request regarding this meet up. But...I couldn't help but notice that there had been a recent heist."
WHY WAS I NOT INFORMED?! Shinichi didn't ask.
"Oh... that" Nakamori-san laughed, scratching his head. "We couldn't inform you about it because it was a private heist and the owner of the gem wanted it to be secret."
Shinichi breathed out a sigh of relief. It was just nothing to worry about.
"Is that so?" He smiled at Nakamori-san pleasantly.
The older man nodded but then paused. "Kudo-kun... you haven't happened to have..."
Shinichi tilted his head to the side, waiting.
"What is it, Nakamori-keibu?"
The inspector sighed, "You didn't annoy Kid in some way... did you?"
Then Shinichi proceeded to find out that along with the heist note, Kid made an explicit request that he be remained uninformed of the private heist.
Shinichi stared at the ground. He just screwed up, didn't he? Was Kid that hurt by what happened? Was Shinichi that blunt and coarse to the thief?
Puppy like indigo eyes, teary and accussing as they look back at him.
Shinichi opened his eyes.
Fuck. Back up, back up. He paced the street like a rat contemplating life, rubbing his face down. He needs to apologise to Kid. ASAP.
He cannot let the thief think that Shinichi hates him, his heist or his.... dastardly 'fine' suit. No matter what opinion Shinichi may have of 'fine' suits for the thief to wear. (Preferably open collars, Shinichi had his face smooshed too many times to said boobs when he was Conan that he just knows those are.... mind out of the gutter, Shinichi.)
Wiping his drool, making Kid cry was not fine in Shinichi's books. Plus, Kid prohibiting him from said heist was just unfair of the thief. The sleuth preferably did not like the exclusion.
They had a thing! They had a deal! Heists are supposed to be fair game and Kid excluding him was not fair!
"Oh, Kudo-kun! There you are!"
Shinichi snapped out of his thoughts, head turning to who called him.
"Hakuba-kun, a pleasure to see you."
The blonde was bent over, panting. Standing up straight, Saguru sighed at Shinichi.
"Good day to you too, Kudo-kun. Now I'm terribly sorry if this is quite forward of me but... would you like to join me at a cafe?"
Hakuba Saguru would like to say that as someone brought up in England, etiquette and manners have been ingrained into his bone. That is until he met one grinning menace terrorising his highschool life. Kuroba Kaito, said menace that Saguru suspects to be Kid, despite the williness of said classmate, have been proving day by day, prank by prank, that even cultural values could be tested if you just annoy someone enough.
The foreign sleuth had been having an awful week with his (un)certain friend suddenly having a large penchant for pranking him for some reason.
Saguru would like to say he didn't provoke said beast.
But with how mopy Kuroba had been this week in college, even Hakuba's girlfriend, Aoko-chan, the angel that she is, became worried regarding said (un)certain friend. Even if said friend crashed their dates like a down and about third wheel.
"Kaito, why are you sighing so much? The dessert will come soon so don't be so moppy. Plus, its a sunny day and it hasn't even started out that much yet," Aoko asked, staring at the sad lump of messy brown hair slumped on the table.
"Aoko can't understand you, Bakaito."
Red rimmed indigo eyes looked up at Aoko, even Hakuba who had been eavesdropping winced at the terrible state Kaito was in.
Kaito floped his head to the side of the table, his voice a sad slurred drawling tone.
"Aoko... am I that unfashionable?"
"Ehh? Kaito isn't that unfashionable. You're actually more fashionable than the people Aoko knows."
Touched for what is it, Kaito's face made a painful twitch that resembled a smile.
Saguru spoke up, "Certainly, Kuroba-kun. As much as I'd like not to inflate your ego, you certainly have a phenomenal fashion taste."
Kaito's smile twitched at the subtle jab but for comfort's sake, he won't pursue it.
The thief sighed heavily, moping again and muttering to himself.
"Then why doesn't he like it?"
Saguru hadn't meant to hear that last part but spending his time, staring at the ceiling of his bedroom with his hair a shock of rainbow, had forced the foreign sleuth to contemplate the reason why his friend had been mopy. (That and contemplating life too as he also questioned why he was friends with a maniac).
That last bit helped clue him in on why Kuroba's recent mood had been down with a pinch prank galore and passive aggressiveness as the magician been absolutely crashing his dates with Aoko-chan.
Kid's crush, or more Kuroba Kaito's crush, Kudo Shinichi is the cause of said mopiness.
And that's why said foreign sleuth invited the east detective to said cafe.
He cannot take anymore pranks this week. Especially with said magician interrupting each kiss he would have with said girlfriend.
"Why did you ask for me here, Hakuba-kun," Shinichi asked.
Taking a sip of his tea, he replied "Kudo-kun, can I ask if there was something that happened between you and Kid?"
Shinichi twitched in suprise. He smiled placidly at the foreign detective.
Hmmm, Saguru observed his counterpart.
"I don't remember anything of note, I'm sorry."
"It's quite fine, Kudo-kun. I predicted that there wouldn't be much from your side."
Putting down his tea, the foreign sleuth gave the other his full attention.
"I just thought you would appreciate to know that a certain thief had been on a warpath this whole week."
Confused, Shinichi asked the other. "What do you mean, Hakuba-kun?"
Saguru morosely smiled and said "You are aware of my exploits, correct?"
"Then you would know that previously, in my old highschool, I suspected a classmate of mine to be Kid."
Shinichi's eyes glinted, a hidden sharpness to it as he replied evenly. "Is that so? Can I ask why you would think so? Have you found evidence?"
"Unfortunately not," Shinichi breathed a subtle sigh of relief, "but too many factors coincided with that classmate of mine to keep him my number 1 suspect over the years."
Tapping his fingers on the table, Shinichi looked up at Hakuba. "Ohh.... can I ask though why you are telling me this?"
Saguru smiled (menacingly), "it's because, Kudo-kun, that certain classmate of mine have been a bit too... prank happy this week."
Leaning closer to the smaller man, he emphasized, "and I would like it to stop."
Shinichi blinked at the other and said, "and hypothetically speaking, how would you, per chance, help with stopping said classmate?"
Saguru smiled brightly, his fellow detective gets it. He would expect nothing less from a fellow sherlockian.
Raising his tea as he took a sip of the liquid gold, the England detective replied.
"If a certain someone needed a certain help to get in certain places without alerting a certain taskforce. I would be happy to lend my aid."
Shinichi smiled at a friend.
The two sleuth's chatted over the course of their stay at the cafe, trading tips, stories and cases in the newfound alliance they found themselves in.
Saguru's phone rang as he took a look at it, noticing he was late for a date with his girlfriend.
"It has been a pleasure to have this meet up with you Kudo-kun, but I'll have to cut this short."
Shinichi got up, nodding at the other.
"It's quite fine, Hakuba-kun."
Scratching his head, Shinichi said "I really appreciate the help."
Saguru was pleasantly suprised at the sincerity from the other detective. He smiled, he could see why Kuroba liked Kudo-kun.
"It's no problem, Kudo-kun. In fact, you'd be doing me a favor for it! I can't thank you enough."
Waving goodbye, Saguru hurriedly prepared to leave when a sudden call stopped him.
Shinichi said, looking up at brown eyes of the foreign detective.
He hurriedly and sheepishly asked.
"Hakuba-kun, is there per chance you have a picture of Kid from the recent heist?"
Shinichi stared at the photo unabashedly, his bias wearing a tight vest that emphasized that man boobs.
Closing his phone with a satisfied look, Shinichi directed his focus on his current mission. It had been 3 weeks since that cafe meet with Hakuba-kun and Kid had kept up with his heists since. From wearing a feathery robe to a heist, to a medieval suit, to a mermaid themed outfit for a sea heist and finally, (Shinichi's favourite cause damn the media photos were juicy) Kid wearing military uniform, cosplaying as a war commander.
Shinichi is very salty he missed the recent heists due to said thief.
No question asked, Shinichi had been unevocably banned from future heists by way of Kid requesting it to the Kid taskforce. Even worse, the media found out about it and proceeded to have a field day, speculating on what happened between the thief and the detective. (Shinichi still has to duck from cover from Sonoko throwing things at him in the name of her idol)
Shinichi's eyebrow twitched.
That darn thief, he could get avoiding him for the time being after Shinichi's catastrophic fumble. But did it really garner a ban? It had already been almost a month and Shinichi hasn't seen hide or front of the phantom thief except from (salivating) photos posted in the internet.
The sapphire eyed sleuth had finally had enough thus resorted and launched a guerilla tactic to finally force the thief to confront him.
So now Shinichi was here, sneezing inside a dusty storage room, waiting for said thief to come by.
Looks like Shinichi doesn't have to wait long.
Clothes rustled as a quiet clack clack rang through the dust.
Shinichi kicked the box in front of him with fervor.
Kid let out, shocked at his beloved detective spring trapping into the room like a budget horror movie.
"Kid, I cannot believe you banned me! Me of all people!? I thought we had a deal, you lousy sneak thief!"
Shaking his head as he stood up from the small cabinet nook he stuffed himself in, sky blue eyes glared at Kid with the acidity.
Shinichi didn't hear the continuation of that sentence.
Breathe hitching, a low strangled whine came out of Shinichi’s throat as he stared.
Kid... Kid looked like a common crook.
The good kind. The kind Shinichi would lag if he saw, unable to stutter words or even chase after without stumbling a few steps first.
This was the type of man Shinichi’s father would warn him from (cause Yukiko would be aboard immediately).
Kid looked like a bad boy, a stereotypical biker who got into gang fights and if that says something about Shinichi, a fervent detective who salivates over cases and murders, maybe Shinichi should have predicted this long ago.
(Ran did, Shiho did, heck even Sonoko and Heiji, of all people, had an inkling)
Kid combed his hair, the black leather gloves brushing against black hair as his muscles flexed under the leather jacket.
The black shirt was tight on the front, the buttons holding on for dear life over the stretched fabric as Kid unintentionally flexed.
"I thought you... didn't want to come anymore. Plus," the thief looked placidly with his indigo eyes at the sleuth "if a certain detective that's been invited many times stood up my heists despite a personal notice. Then pardon me for heeding your wishes, my lady."
Shinichi replied, his eyes slowly looking down as he talked.
"I didn’t mean that I didn’t like your shows."
"I just mean that they're..."
"In the fashion sense," the sleuth hurriedly tacked on.
"You can't deny that your suit is getting repetitive already! You wear white for every heist! Even me, someone Sonoko could attest to having zero fashion sense, could see it!"
"How dare you! This suit is a vintage, Meitantei! You would criticize This Thief?! Don't you have any appreciation for the olden days!?"
"Old is gold but it doesn't apply to you, sneak thief!"
"Stop criticising my suit and just say your damn mind, you case freak!"
"You want me to be blunt?! Okay then, Your. Suit. Is. Boring! Change it up and pick yellow for fuck's sake, I'd take that than white anytime!"
Kid growls. (Oh no, that was hot)
"I wouldn't listen to a fashion criticism of yours if you wouldn't even look me-" Kid paused in offense.
"Why are you-!? You've been staring at my chest for the entirety of this conversation!"
Shinichi's face flushed red as he tore his eyes away from Kid's (boobs) chest.
"I don't know what you mean," the sleuth replied smoothly.
The thief gaped at the shamelessness of the sleuth. There was no way in hell Kid would buy that innocent face. He had fallen too many times into that trap.
"You just- you were-...."
Eyes wide, Shinichi stared Kid right at those indigo eyes.
"I did what?" the sleuth challenged.
Kid's face tightened, reddening at the strain that was the thief's exasperation of the (un) straight laced detective.
Huffing and crossing his arms, the phantom thief says (with an aggrieved pout) "Point still stands Meitantei, if you think my shows are boring then its perfectly fine for you to no longer come."
Sniffing, the magician tacks on. "In fact, I would rather have fun with the rest of my detectives rather than a sleuth who stood me up."
The thief ignored the fumbling detective, walking around Shinichi. Kid prepared his escape route, stepping onto the cargo and boxes in the room. He moved them to give space to open the large window.
"Not everyone gets a prestigious international phantom thiefs, such as I, knocking on their door with personal notices, Meitantei."
Kid looks back at Shinichi with an accussing glare, pointedly pressing the button with his decoy deploying into the air.
The wind swept into the room, white fabric rustling in the strong winds until they became sturdy, forming a hanglider reminscent of Kid's usual cape. Shinichi watched the thief who was holding the hanglider, preparing to escape. Indigo eyes sparkled with hurt and disappointment as they stared back at sky blue orbs.
"If you can't appreciate it, then I'll stop them and take that privilege back."
Arms wrapped around the thief's waist as the detective cried out.
The thief paused, looking down at the detective.
"I didn’t hate your heists. In fact, I love them! I just got tired of seeing you always in that same suit! Whatever event or theme you were doing for your shows, it was always like you were the odd one out."
Closing his eyes as he held on tight to his crush, Shinichi confessed.
"I didn't like that! It felt like you were apart from everyone! There was always a barrier in between you and your audience! Even me! It was like you were distancing and outcasting yourself instead."
"Plus, it didn't felt right that you were staging these shows in such a thin and worn suit. I know you love the suit, Kid. But no matter what weather it was, you wore that suit even if it didn't give you protection. From winter, to rain, to even the heat and... and..."
Shinichi pursed his lips, not sure if he could say this or if it was overstepping his boundaries. They often had these invisible lines between each other. A silent agreement to never interfere in each other's lives until the other asked for it explicitly. But... still, Shinichi continued over that line.
"Why aren't you protected from them?"
"I know... I know, I'm sorry for doing this but... Kid, your suit isn't sturdy."
Shinichi lowered his eyes, unable to look up at Kid's eyes. Would Kid hate him for going too far? Would Kid shut down? Yet, Shinichi can't deny he is worried for the thief.
"You're a thief doing stunts on the regular and... I would really like it if you're protected first rather than the fashion."
The thief sighed. "You're really unfair, meitantei."
Shinichi snapped his head up, the thief smiling at him.
"I can't seem to stay mad at you every time."
Eyes twinkling, the sleuth asked.
"Does that mean-" Kid pinched Shinichi's cheek "yowe gettwing youwe swuit rweinfowed? Cwhange evewything?"
"Don't get ahead of yourself, Meitantei. I'm not changing that suit's design for jack shit."
Kid grinned, leaning down with arms circling Shinichi's waist. Pawing at the sleuth's clothes like a cat holding a mouse.
"But.... I could be persuaded," the thief said with a singsong tune (and a scheming grin).
"It's nothing bad, right?"
"It depends on your definition of bad, meitantei."
"Some might say, some might not."
The sleuth grouched, "that doesn't answer anything." Kid's grin sharpened, his eyebrows wiggling "Doesn't it, my darling. Last chance, do you take the deal?"
Shinichi breathed in and out. He looked at Kid's indigo eyes.
"Deal. What do I have to do?"
"Pfft! Hahahahaha," Heiji was dying as he wiggled on the floor like a floundering fish, trembling finger pointing at a sleuth's bunny ears that twitched.
"Stop laughing," Shinichi grouched.
Hakuba politely coughed, hiding his snicker behind his fist. It was just Shinichi's luck that all three teenage detective, including him, were in attendance to this show.
"I cannot believe you, of all people, would wear that!" the Osakan snorted.
Shinichi right now, after Kid sent a new notice without asking for Shinichi to be banned, was participating in the heist in promise to the deal. After that night at the storage room, Shinichi found that he regretted his decision (multiple times).
Sporting a fluffy tail and heels that could kill, Kudo Shinichi, the Great Detective of the East, was wearing a white and blue bunny suit.... and it was Kid themed.
The sleuth ignored the gaping mouths, the pointing fingers and the flashing cameras. He was here to own up to the deal like a man and a man he is, he will wear it.
White lace decorated the bust of the outfit as the bodice had a swirling pattern, not unlike those of feathers.
They reminded Shinichi of Kid's doves. Shinichi's lips twitched into a smile at the thought.
The lights flickered as a spotlight came down onto a man wearing a pristine and more fitted yet dishevelled white suit. Sky blue eyes snapped into focus onto the man.
Golden cufflinks twinkled on white sleeves as the man raised his hand to his hat, the sleeves having a touch of lace and ruffles. A tight fitting black vest paired with a red sash adorned the waist.
Water flowed down, the rushing gush of stream echoing inside the museum as blue light glowed down. Gasps of awe rang out from the audience as the stage transformed into a resemblance of the sea.
Kid grinned down at his audience, tipping his tricorne hat. His long white and blue medieval coat rustling down, drapping like feathery wings over his shoulders.
"Ladies and Gentlemen! It's showtime!"
Shinichi looked up at the thief, sparkling with his tricks. Kid waved his arms, a happy grin on his face as streams of water followed his gesture. Okay, yeah, this was worth it.
The sleuth conceeded with a smile.
