Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Okay! Just post some reqs in the comments. Just know that I won't do anything nsfw. Other than that, anything goes. Angst and fluff and everything between is all on the table.

Chapter Text

Kaito sat at the counter of the empty shop, his head resting in his hands as he hummed to himself. Things were as slow as ever. He had no clue how this place managed to stay open considering the fact that there were rarely any customers. But he also wasn’t complaining. This was a nice gig! All he had to do was sit around, water a few flowers every now and then, and leave with his paycheck. It was easy money, and lord knows he needed the cash. His tuition wasn’t paying itself.

He shut his eyes for a moment, but they snapped open almost immediately when he heard the door. He straightened his back and looked at the person who had just entered, waving at them. “Hey!” He beamed, a bright and welcoming smile on his face.

The customer, who looked like he couldn’t be any older than twelve, waved and grinned back. “Hiya,” He said as he walked up to the counter, looking up at Kaito with bright, purple eyes. “I’m gonna need your help looking for something extra special!” His voice sounded childish, and he was acting like a little kid too. That, coupled with the fact that he was incredibly short and wearing a school uniform, made Kaito assume that the guy was in middle school.

“Of course I’ll help you out, little dude. I’m Kaito Momota, luminary of the stars! I always help children out,” Kaito said, purposefully overdoing his hero shtick since he knew that most kids ate it up and thought it was the coolest thing ever. “It’s also my job, but that’s besides the point. What do you need help with, young man?” 

The kid giggled, jumping up and down a few times. “Wow! I can’t believe Momota-chan is gonna help me out! This is the best day ever!” He spun around and continued to laugh, looking up at Kaito with an excited expression and a twinkle in his eyes. “Well then, mister luminary of the stars, I need your help finding the perfect bouquet of flowers for my older sister. My mommy sent me out to get some for her birthday, but I have no clue what I’m doing. I don’t know anything about flowers...” He pouted, and Kaito couldn’t help but chuckle. He reached out and ruffled the kids hair. 

“No need to worry! I happen to be a flower expert,” Kaito lied, stepping out from behind the counter. In all actuality, he knew next to nothing about the topic, but the kid didn’t need to know that. Plus, it wasn’t like he was lying about anything important. He just trying to make sure he seemed cool and heroic. Doing so made children happy, y’know? And all he wanted to do was make sure this kid was as happy as possible. “Do you know what your sister’s favorite color is?”

“Yep! I do!” The kid said, humming in thought for a moment. Then he clapped his hands together and spoke again. “Mei’s favorite color is yellow like the sun. She says it’s a happy color.”

Kaito felt his grin grow even wider, and he nodded along. This kid was too cute. “We better pick a bouquet with lots of yellow in it then,” He said as he looked around the store for something that fit the description. When his eyes landed on a bouquet with lots of marigolds and daisies in it, he walked over to it and picked it up. “How’s this?”

The kid looked at it for a moment, studying it. Then he bit his lip. “Hm… I dunno,” he mumbled, “Does it smell any good? Mommy said to get one that smelled pretty. She even gave me extra money to make sure I could afford the best one...”

“Um, I’m not sure if it does, actually,” Kaito admitted with a shrug, “But don’t worry, little guy, I’ll check for you!” He held the flowers up to his face and gave them a sniff. They smelled sweet. He wasn’t a fan, but flowery smells had never been up his alley. “They smell amazing! Definitely the best in the shop.” 

“Really? Are you sure?” The kid asked, taking a step closer and making little grabby hands. “Let me hold it for a sec to see! I gotta make sure it’s perfect! I wanna make Mei happy!” 

Kaito handed the bouquet to him. “Alright, just hand back after so I can ring you up. I’m sure your sister will love it.”

“Okie dokie, Momota-chan!” The kid chirped, holding the flowers up to his face and smelling them. He giggled again. “Wow! These are amazing! They’re gonna be perfect! Mei’s gonna love them!” He spun around, holding them in the air. “Oh, and Kaito, one more thing.”

The sudden use of his first name caught Kaito off guard, but he kept smiling anyway. The kid was probably just being weird. Most kids were pretty weird sometimes. “What is it?” He asked, curious, “Is there something wrong with the flowers?”

“No, no, nothing like that,” The kid muttered, suddenly sounding way more mature. His expression darkened. “I just wanted to tell you that you’re stupid.” 

Before Kaito could even process what he had said, the kid started sprinting out of the store with the bouquet still in hands, maniacal laughter bubbling out of him. Kaito froze up for a second. What the fuck? What had just happened? He blinked, and then realized he had been stolen from. “That little shit-” He grumbled under his breath before bolting after the kid, only vaguely aware of the fact that he was leaving the store unlocked and unattended.

When he got outside, he could still see the kid running down the sidewalk at full speed, and he chased after him. “Hey! Come back here!” He shouted, “You can’t just steal things!”

“Yes I can!” The kid yelled back, his laughter growing in volume. He looked over his shoulder for a second and winked at Kaito, “My name is Kokichi Ouma, and this world is mine!” He jumped in the air, clicking his heels together, and then he darted into an alleyway. 

Kaito continued running until he got to the alley, but when he turned the corner Kokichi was nowhere to be seen. It was like he vanished. “Dammit..” He cursed under his breath, sighing and turning around. How did he let his happen? He started walking back to the shop, ready to get back to work, but nothing could have prepared him for what he saw when he did.

Nine people dressed as clowns were running out of the store, their arms full of flowers and money.

Chapter Text

When they started dating, they both agreed to keep it a secret. Each of them had their own reasons for doing so.

For Kaito, it was his reputation. He was known around school for being a great guy everybody could depend on and come to with their issues. If people found out he was in love with a liar like Kokichi, they might stop trusting him. They’d probably think that his boyfriend would rub off on him and make him less honest in the process. Sure, at the end of the day, he loved Kokichi more than he liked the praise he got from his peers, but it still felt nice to be treated as a hero and he didn’t want it to end just yet. So, he thought it’d be best to keep his mouth shut about his love life for now.

And for Kokichi, it was because of his trust issues. He didn’t like people knowing things about him. When people knew things, they could use them against him or know what he was really like. If they knew he was in love, then who knows what they’d do! A weak spot was the easiest way for somebody to pry off his mask and get under his skin, and kaito was his biggest weak spot at the moment. He didn’t mind being so close to Kaito or being in love with him, but he was always afraid that somebody would take advantage of it all and hurt him. He also thought it’d be best to keep his mouth shut but, then again, it always basically shut. Unlike Kaito, he never talked about himself.

Keeping their relationship hidden was definitely for the best but, even though it was hidden, it was still very real. Their moments of closeness still meant the world to both of them. Even if those moments were kept behind locked doors and rarely spoken of. It didn’t matter to either of them, though. And maybe it made the moments mean more. It was a secret, yes, but it was their secret and that made it special.

There was something special about the way Kaito held Kokichi, all smiles and warmth, his arms wrapped around the other boy from behind while they sat in bed together and talked for hours. And there was something special about the way Kokichi smiled when he was alone with Kaito and how, for once in the world, Kaito could tell that Kokichi was being completely honest and completely himself. 

The time they spent together meant everything to both of them. 

“I wish we could stay like this forever, y’know…” Kokichi muttered, leaning back against Kaito and looking around the his dorm. It was messy nothing like Kaito’s dorm. It was messy and dark and boring. The only thing vaguely interesting was Kaito’s coat, which was hanging off of his bedpost at the moment. He kind of wanted to be in Kaito’s dorm instead, but he wasn’t about to complain. He took what he could get. After clearing his throat, he continued speaking. “Like, I don’t want to share this with the world or anything, but it sucks that we can’t do this all the time everyday.”

Kaito nodded and pulled Kokichi closer with a sigh. “Yeah, I get that. We don’t get to spend nearly as much time together as I want. Still, it’s for the best, right?”

“Yeah, it is. I know it is,” He bit his lip, his face tinted red, “I love you.”

“I love you too, Kichi,” Kaito said with a soft laugh. He pressed a kiss to the back of Kokichi’s head and hummed, a stupid smile forming on his face. “I love you more than anything.”

Kokichi laughed too, his face heating up even more. “Really?” He asked, grinning, “Do you love me more than space?”

“Hm… I dunno, I’d have to think about that,” Kaito said. He went silent for a moment and closed his eyes. He was clearly in deep thought. “Okay. I’m done thinking. The council of Kaito has reached a consensus.”

Rolling his eyes, Kokichi snorted. He tilted his head back to look up at Kaito. “Yeah? And what did they decide?” He asked, raising a brow.

“They decided that, yes, I do love you more than space,” Kaito said, looking down at Kokichi. He kissed the smaller boy’s forehead and started to laugh again. “I love you way more than space. You’ve got stars in your eyes and your smile is brighter than the sun-”

He was cut off by Kokichi stammering and shoving his head away. “Shut up!” He squeaked, a bright smile on his face in spite of his words, “Y-You don’t need to be so sappy, jeez. You sound so stupid. It’s like you’re reciting a shitty poetry book.” His face was bright red.

Kaito just laughed even harder. “You’re the stupid one if you thought you could date a guy who calls himself the ‘luminary of the stars’ and not get told sappy bullshit,” he said, beaming, “Plus, I meant what I just said! I wasn’t lying at all, Kichi. I don’t lie.”

“Whatever-” Kokichi huffed, hiding his face in his hands and barely suppressing a giggle. There was no reason for him to be flustered over something so dumb, and yet here he was. His boyfriend was so stupid. He was so in love. “Your eyes have stars in them too, I guess. Even though that’s the stupidest thing to ever be said by anyone anywhere.”

“Really? That’s the stupidest thing? I’m pretty sure the actual stupidest thing ever said is ‘Kaito, I don’t understand what you do to my heart and I hate it!’ but maybe I’m wrong.” He did a terrible Kokichi impression.

Kokichi shook his head. “No, no- The stupidest thing was actually when you said ‘Kokichi, I’m going to make you my sidekick, but not just any sidekick! A special sidekick that I kiss sometimes!’. That was pretty fucking dumb.” He did a Kaito impression too, but his was actually pretty spot on. 

“Okay, I’ll admit that was a little dumb, but it still made you blush so it can’t be that bad, right?”

“Dumb things just make my heart explode, I guess. Considering the fact that you’re my boyfriend.” Kokichi snickered.

Kaito gasped dramatically. “Hey! I’m not that dumb! I’m-”

He was cut off again, but this time it wasn’t by Kokichi. It was by the sound of his phone’s alarm going off. He sighed and picked it up, silencing it. “Ah... It, uh, looks like we’re out of time,” He mumbled, frowning, “I’ve got training with Shuichi in a bit.”

Kokichi frowned too, but he nodded. “Yeah, alright. Have fun.” He crawled out of Kaito’s lap so the other could leave, and he tried to hide his own disappointment. This was probably the only downside to keeping things a secret.

“I will,” Kaito said, “And I’ll text you when I’m done, alright?”

“Yeah, alright,” Kokichi said. Kaito got out of the bed, kissing Kokichi’s cheek as he left. Kokichi chuckled and gently grabbed Kaito’s face, pulling him in for a real kiss. It was short but sweet. He looked up ait Kaito and smiled. “I love you.”

“We just went over how much I love you, but I’ll say it again: I love you too Kichi,” Kaito started to put his slippers back on and ran a hand through his hair, “To the moon and back!”

Kokichi rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah, we get it, you’re a dumb astronaut. Go have fun at training.”

Kaito waved goodbye as he left the dorm, shutting the door behind himself and walking into the hall only to find himself face to face with Shuichi. He yelped and froze up for a moment. “Fuck, Saihara, you really spooked me for a second,” He said, “Are you ready to train?”

Shuichi nodded. “Yeah, I am… but first I want to ask you something.”

“Really? Uh, feel free to ask, I guess,” Kaito said, visibly sweating. He knew it was going to be about Kokichi, but he was praying that it would be about literally anything else.

“Are you and Ouma dating?” Shuichi asked, as blunt as ever.

Kaito started to scratch his neck, shifting around a bit. “No…?” He said slowly, clearly lying, “What on earth made you think that, I’d never date him I-”

“If you’re not dating, then please explain why you’re leaving his dorm without your coat. Or why you two haven’t fought in months. Or why Ouma seems to be less evil than normal. Or why you start blushing anytime Maki or I mention him,” Shuichi said. Then he noticed Kaito’s panicked expression. He sighed. “Look, I support you fully, but I just wanted to know whether or not you were so I didn’t have to jump to conclusions.”

“... Leave it to the Ultimate Detective to catch me red handed,” Kaito said, looking away, “Yeah, we’re dating. But it’s a secret. Don’t tell anyone, alright? Neither of us want anyone knowing.”

Shuichi nodded. “Alright. I’m sorry for invading your privacy, but I was worried. I thought you were either dating him or like… being roped into his evil organization. Either way, I trust that you’re doing what you really want, and I won’t tell a soul.” He smiled at Kaito.

Kaito smiled back. “Thanks for understanding, bro. You’re the best.”

Chapter Text

Kokichi walked over to the hangar’s bathroom carrying a plate of food. He used his free hand to knock on the door as hard as he could. “Momota-chan! Open up, it’s lunchtime,” He called, raising his voice so he would be heard from the other room, “If you don’t let me in, I'll have to break the door down!” He knew he wouldn’t actually do that, since getting rid of the door would do nothing but make his life harder, but he also knew that the threat would be enough to get Kaito to let him in. 

The door swung open in a matter of seconds, proving Kokichi right. 

Kaito stood in front of him with an annoyed look on his face. His brows knitted together as he glared down at the smaller boy. “How long are you going to keep me in here?” He asked, his anger barely contained.  

“For as long as I need to,” Kokichi answered, a wide grin on his face. He held the plate out for Kaito. There were two peanut butter sandwiches and a sliced apple on it. “Now eat up, I can’t have you starving to death.”

Gritting his teeth, Kaito took the plate. “Why not?” He hissed, “You already seem pretty hell bent on making me suffer, so just let me starve. A twisted person like you oughta enjoy seeing that.”

Kokichi pouted, forcing fake tears to bubble up in his eyes. He puffed his cheeks out and stomped a few times like an angry child. “Because even masterminds get lonely!” He huffed, his hands balled into fists, “If you die, I’ll-”

“Enough with the mastermind bullshit, Ouma!” Kaito yelled suddenly, cutting Kokichi off, “You’re not the fucking mastermind!”

The smaller boy was caught off guard for a moment, but he quickly regained composure and barked out a laugh. “And how do you know that, hm? Is this another one of your stupid hunches?” He tilted his head to the side as he spoke.

“Nah, I know for a fact you can’t be the mastermind. You wanna know why it can’t be you?” Kaito’s expression darkened all of the sudden.

Kokichi raised a brow. “Why?” He asked, unsure where Kaito was going with all this.

“Because it’s me,” Kaito said simply, a smile forming on his face, “I’m the only one here who can’t be fooled by you. You can’t trick the real mastermind.”

“You’re…” Kokichi said slowly, before laughing again, even harder this time. He brought a hand to his face. “You’re so stupid! Such an idiot! Do you really think I’m dumb enough to fall for something like that? I’m a liar, Momota-chan, I can always tell when other people are lying.”

Kaito laughed back at Kokichi, his own laugh far more maniacal and genuine. “But can you? Can you really?” He taunted, “Ouma, I’ve been lying to everyone this whole game, and you couldn’t tell until just now. You pretending to be the mastermind was an interesting ploy, but you can’t beat me at my own game because I can see right through you.”

Kokichi’s eyes were wide, and he took a step back. He furrowed his brows and thought for a moment. This was a lot to process. He wasn’t sure how to take it all in. Was Kaito lying? Was this a trick? If so, what did Kaito have to gain from deceiving him like this? And, if it wasn’t a trick… what did it mean for Kokichi? What was Kaito going to do now? He crunched the numbers in his head, thinking it all over. Then he went still. All emotion seemed to drain from his face. 

No matter how much he thought it through, there was no reason for Kaito to be lying right now, and him being the mastermind made too much sense to be false anyway. His heart sank. His arms fell to his sides.

“It’s really you, huh?” He muttered, barely audible, “You’re really the mastermind, aren’t you?”

Kaito nodded and reached a hand out to ruffle Kokichi’s hair in a mocking manner. He was still grinning. In most situations that expression would look goofy, but here in the hangar it just looked sadistic. “Yep! I’m the one behind this whole game. You probably could’ve ended it all and won if you chose somebody other than me to trap in here, but you didn’t did you?”

Kokichi stared down at the floor blankly. He felt sick. There were a lot of things he wanted to say, a lot of questions he wanted to ask, but none of the words left his mouth. He couldn’t bring himself to talk. Instead, all he could manage to do was stand there like an idiot, his mouth wide open while Kaito continued to snicker and mock him.

Tears bubbled up in his eyes, but these ones were genuine and he couldn’t stop them. They began to run down his cheeks, and he began to shake. He let out small sniffles and choked sobs. All the while Kaito kept running a hand through his hair, smirking as he watched Kokichi break down.

He looked like a pathetic child like this. 

The two of them stayed like that for what felt like ages. Kokichi just stood there and cried like a baby, and Kaito just watched him fall apart. 

Then, all of the sudden, Kokichi stopped. He wiped the tears off of his face and straightened his back. He had cried enough, and now he had regained his composure. It was time to play it off and slip back into character. He took a second to think of a good lie. And then he forced a wide smile and looked up at Kaito. “Stupid!” He said, no hint of sadness in his voice, “Did you really fall for my fake tears?” 

“Did you really fall for my angry hostage act?” Kaito shot back instead of answering the question.

“I knew you were the mastermind,” Kokichi lied, making a grand gesture with his arms and cackling, “I trapped you in here with me on purpose! You can’t run the game from here, and I win! Did you really think my plan was to just kidnap some random player and sit here until you snapped?”

Kaito scoffed. “What makes you think I can’t run the game from here?” He asked, dropping the plate and crossing his arms. Neither of them flinched when the ceramic hit the floor and shattered.

“What makes you think I’d answer that? Kaito, you dumb ass, my plan has been to keep you here, make you feel safe, and then kill you!” 

Before Kaito could react, Kokichi was lunging towards him, his small hands wrapping around his neck while he tackled him to the ground. Kaito let out a pained grunt, but he didn’t react much outside of that. “You won’t kill me,” He said confidently.

Kokichi started to choke Kaito.

“Why not? Because of my stupid organization that you made up? Because of our no killing rule? Don’t joke, Kaito. I know DICE never existed.”

Kaito shook his head, his grin never leaving his face. “No,” He laughed, his voice strained, “You won’t do it because you’re in love with me, Kokichi.”

Kokichi faltered. He was caught off guard for the second time. His face grew hot and he tightened his grip on Kaito’s neck. “Don’t flatter yourself, Kaito. We’re not even friends. I’d never fall for a sick idiot like you.”

“Really you wouldn’t?” Kaito rolled his eyes, “Then prove it. Kill me. Kill me right fucking now.”

Kokichi didn’t reply, he just continued to strangle Kaito, a sick and twisted expression on his face as he watched him start to struggle. But, as soon as Kaito’s face started to turn red and he started letting out pained gasps and coughs, Kokichi let go of him.

“See? I said you wouldn’t kill me, and I was right,” Kaito laughed, looking at Kokichi. The boy’s eyes were wide and he looked like he was going to breakdown again. “You really should just end my life, you know. If you do, this whole game will be over. You’d win. But you’re too dumb for that, aren’t you Kokichi?”

Kokichi shook his head and, slowly, he let go of Kaito and stood up. “Y-You’re wrong-” He stuttered out quickly, sounding desperate, “You’re wrong! I’m not dumb! I could kill you whenever I want!” He was starting to shout, his breathing getting short and shaky. 

“Quit lying to yourself. You know full well you could never bring yourself to kill me.”

Without saying anything, Kokichi started to back out of the room, his whole body trembling. He started to shut the door.

“Just… eat your food,” He mumbled, trying his best to not think about why he was still keeping Kaito alive, “... I’ll be back with more tomorrow.”