Chapter Text
"Shuichi! C'mon! We don't got all night!"
"Ah, Kaito! But didn't you say August was the best month for shooting stars? Haven't we got the rest of the month?"
Shuichi Saihara, the Ultimate Detective, was being pestered and rushed to get outside, anxious as Kaito Momota, Luminary of the Stars or, if you wanted to be formal, the Ultimate Astronaut, was shouting quite loudly, a little too loud for this hour. He was standing in Shuichi's front yard, yelling about who knows what at his bedroom window, whether it be about the stars up above, how he should move faster, or how sick and dead the garden of flowers in front of his house looked. Unfortunately, Kaito's words were just wasted speech as Saihara was away from the window, sprinting downstairs and towards his front door. He hurried to slip on his shoes, hopping on one foot to try and balance himself.
He pulled open the door, stopping Momota mid sentence with whatever he was screaming. It was a casual outing, of course, both of them clad in a navy blue Nasa hoodie and a desaturated violet sweater with a stylised magnifying glass respectfully.
"Alright, Kaito. Let's leave," Shuichi said.
He watched as the other smiled and threw a pillow into the back of his truck. He unlocked the vehicle and climbed into the driver's seat, watching as Shuichi stepped in on the other side.
"Hey, what was the pillow for, huh?" Shuichi questioned as the engine started.
"Eh…" Kaito pulled out of his probably legal parking spot in front of the house. "I guess if ya didn't get out fast enough, I would start throwin' pillows."
Saihara chuckled. "You say that as if you hadn't even thought it through."
Momota shrugged and they fell into silence. Shuichi knew exactly where they were going. A bit out of town, there was this gorgeous field that Kaito took all his friends to when stargazing. Shuichi, Maki…he would never invite Kokichi, but if his night was boring and slow, he'd follow them out there, managing to stay given Momota's good mood while observing the beauty of the stars.
It took about twenty, maybe thirty minutes of small talk and bad/tired karaoke (mostly Kaito singing his heart out at 00:30 in the morning) to reach the spot. Shuichi hopped out of the suicide seat and waited for Kaito to open the cargo bed, checking his phone for the time and glancing up at the sky every few seconds. Eventually, Momota unlocked the tailgate and removed the straps that kept the bedding in place while driving down the highway. The two climbed in and laid down on the quilts and blankets placed to make the uncomfortable bed floor somewhat bearable. Kaito had brought two large pillows you'd usually see on beds plus a few bonus novelty pillows. Shuichi especially liked one Kaito had on his couch, shaped like an old book constructed of what was made to look like vintage fabric, covered with dark floral designs.
Saihara pointed to a bundle of stars in the sky. "Hey, is that a constellation?"
"I…uh-"
"Which constellation is it?"
"I don't-"
"It doesn't really look like much, huh?"
"Eh…you sure have a lot of questions…" Kaito finally got a full sentence out.
"Of course, Kaito." Shuichi sat up on his elbows. "I'm interested in learning more about you. I want to hear you talk about your interests."
The other just stared up at Saihara with a heated face, watching as he slapped a mosquito on his arm and let realization set in.
Shuichi glanced away, pink cheeks adding a tint of colour to his pale face. "Ah…I-I'm sorry. That was a bit too straight forward, huh?"
Momota shook his head the best he could. "Don't apologize! Curiosity is the key to growing and maturing in life!" He lowered his voice. "But…can you keep secrets, Shuichi?"
"Hm? Oh, of course."
"I…haven't really memorized all the constellations yet," Kaito admitted. "I know, I know. The Luminary of the Stars not even knowing the stars he's exploring. It's stupid, huh?"
Shuichi had a soft look on his face. "I'm sure it can't matter too much. You're the Ultimate Astronaut, not the Ultimate Astronomer."
Momota chuckled. "Yeah, I guess you're right again, Shuichi. Though, I would like to meet whoever is the Ultimate Astronomer. Can you imagine? Do you think it would be love at first sight? We'd be so awesome together!"
"Well, maybe I should become the Ultimate Astronomer, huh Kaito?" As soon as his thoughts came spilling out his mouth, Saihara's face contorted into a bizarre look. "Eh…that is…um…"
"Don't be silly, bud! You're a great detective! Don't…wait…" Kaito flushed red. "Shuichi Saihara, did you just confess to me?"
"I…well…I-I promise I can-"
Kaito suddenly sat up. His voice softened. "Hey. It's a yes or no question."
Shuichi sat up as well. "Ah…y-yes…?"
Momota's eyes widened slightly. He absent mindedly watched as the shy boy rubbed his own arm and looked away at the forest in the distance. Kaito considered his next actions before just deciding on a good ol' hug. Shuichi sucked air through his teeth and froze, eventually relaxing into the embrace.
"Jeez, Shuichi…I never saw you as the guy to confess first…" Kaito started, trying to keep it cool. "I mean, I had already started planning out mine in my head. Of course, it was long and elaborate to stall for time but-"
"Kaito. Please slow down. What are you trying to say?"
He sighed. "Uh…Saihara. Y'know my plans for the future. I wanna get out there, explore the unknown, become a hero of sorts and yet…" He watched the sky. "You make me feel like I never wanna leave, y'know? It's strange…you're the first. Nobody else has ever made me want to stay in one place for so long."
"K-Kaito…"
"Hm? Did I make you emotional or somethin'?"
"No." Shuichi struggled to pull his arm out from Kaito's bear hug. "There's a bunch of meteors over there."
Momota panicked fast and whipped his head around, releasing Shuichi from the hug. He settled rather quickly after catching a few in sight.
Saihara spoke up after a minute. "Do you believe in making wishes on shooting stars?"
Kaito shrugged. "I guess it depends on if I need it. I remember I would sneak out and stargaze on my grandparent's roof instead of studying. If I saw one, I would wish to pass my exams. Unsurprisingly, I think it only worked once or twice and even then it was probably just dumb luck."
"Huh. I guess that's true for a lot of things. Useless until it's needed."
"W-Well don't word it like that! It makes me sound like a bad person…"
Shuichi laughed at Momota's pout. He turned back to the sky and rested his head on Kaito's shoulder. The other froze, then carefully wrapped an arm around him, reposing his own head atop the other's.
What's the point of love if not to stargaze with your partner?