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Saguru had been aimlessly strolling through his school's empty hallways, reaching now and then to his watch to check for the time, glancing at his phone, the things people normally did while anxiously waiting.
He had decided to finally tail Kuroba to Kid's hideout that day, determined that he would catch him in the act. He had to, Saguru thought, There was a heist tomorrow.
Tapping his fingers absentmindedly along the collar of his school uniform, he was suddenly drawn out of his Kid-related thoughts by a piano. Wait- a piano?
He rounded the corner, finding the door to the auditorium ajar. The lock had two lockpicks sticking out. Saguru sighed, before pocketing them for Kaito. Only he was daring enough to pick a lock and leave the picks in.
Pushing open the door slightly, he observed the scene. Kuroba sat at an old piano, pulled to the front left of the stage (from his perspective). He wore his normal school uniform, although a pair of distinct white gloves rested on his fingers.
Along with Kaito- Kuroba- was Koizumi Akako. Kuroba claimed that she was a witch, and she was the object of many Edoka High student's affection. He saw the appeal, but nothing more than that. And while usually he would deny the claims of magic's existence, what he saw next seemed unexplainable.
She had spun her hand once, a red glow (?) surrounding her fingertips, before it dissipated. And there, on the stage, stood a near exact replica of himself, smiling softly. He could see its chest raising with breath, and now he was curious. It was such a well-crafted replica, down to the last detail of his physique.
He only realized he had stepped inside when the door groaned closed. Saguru turned his head back to watch it click into place, and then back to meet Koizumi's eyes. They were an unnatural shade of red. The same red as her fingers had been.
...Was Kuroba not kidding when he said she was a witch?
Shaking his head slightly, he watched the thief play the piano. He was, to Saguru's surprise, decent at playing a slow waltz. It sounded nice on his ears.
And it seemed it was nice on his doppelgängers ears too, because it walked over to Kaito and rested a hand on his shoulder.
Something in him felt unease at the way Kaito withdrew his hands from the still-moving gloves (a trick he would have to examine when given the chance) and let the illusion lead him to the centre of the stage. It had to be because of the uncanny appearance of the other figure, right? What other reason would he have to feel that twang?
The figure took Kaito's waist, and Saguru couldn't help but take a few more steps forward. Kaito returned the gesture, singing to himself lightly. Saguru wished he could hear it, just to identify what song he sang. He didn't know any songs that went with this waltz. Nor. had he heard Kid sing before. It was valuable evidence.
The figure seemed to duet him, in what was distinctly Saguru's baritone voice. He suppressed a shudder, before finding his way to the stage-side stairs.
They were dancing. Kaito and the figure seemed to move with a knowledge of each other's exact steps, and Saguru wondered how long Kaito had known this other him. How long he had looked at Hakuba and seen that figure instead. That is if he was a real person at all.
Saguru gulped. He was beginning to believe Kuroba's claims that Koizumi was a witch.
Now he was in the wings, watching the duo dance. He saw Kaito laugh, and look at his lookalike with a fondness Saguru couldn't comprehend as he was pulled up from a dip and into the other's arms. Then, with a sigh, Kaito flung himself outwards, back turned.
He found himself stepping into the place of his double, feeling him dissipate like mist. A smoke trick, then.
Kaito turned back with that same soft look in his eyes, and Saguru found himself unable to protest when Kaito placed one on his shoulder and held his other lightly.
He returned the gesture, letting his gaze linger on Kaito's face as he made to lead the dance.
With one hand around Kaito's waist, and another holding his hand, Saguru found himself inexplicably thrilled at the way they moved, in sync and yet still separate. The way Kaito mirrored his movements, the wide, oh-so-delicate smile that rested on his face, the light pink across his cheeks. It took his breath away how he had never seen this side of him. It stirred Saguru's heart like crazy, leaving him gasping slightly when Kaito tightened his grip, or wiled his way into a spin, or a dip. He couldn't help but smile a little too fondly as Kaito hummed the tune from earlier. He found himself echoing the hum, even, following the dips in Kaito's voice.
Eventually, he slowed down, hoping to get a word into Kaito. Hoping that maybe, if he phrased it lightly, he could do this again. Maybe even lean in for a kiss.
A kiss?
Oh. He was in love. That explained it.
He felt Kaito's head thump sideways against his chest, and nimble fingers reach for his hair. He stopped humming. Now. He could ask now if he just-
"You know, you're so much like him. Akako did well on the details." He sighed, and it sounded- wrong.
"Even the little details, like the fact that he needs a haircut, or the small dimple in his left cheek." Kaito looked up at him, and he looked bittersweet. Broken. Why did he look like that?
Kaito gave a short laugh, pushing off of him. Saguru felt the absence of Kaito's presence immediately, wanting it back. "I think this has to stop, illusion tantei, If I do this any more, I- I think I'll ruin our friendship. If we're even close enough to call it friendship, anyways."
Saguru's stomach flopped, a dread-filled feeling. Did Kaito not think they were friends?
"Kai-"
He let out another laugh, the Kid laugh. A cover. Saguru felt his heart crack a little. He could hear the end of the score approaching. He didn't want it to end.
Just a moment longer?
He felt frozen, watching Kaito walk back to the piano, slipping his fingers back inside the gloves, and finishing the song. He could hear the last lyrics as Kaito looked at him.
He looked so- so sad. Hakuba couldn't help but worry.
Then, the song ended. Akako waved a hand, the gloves losing a red sheen that Saguru hadn't noticed (another tally for magic is real), and looked at Saguru with an amused eyebrow raise. Kaito played a few more notes, still just as masterful as when he'd first seen.
Kaito's head slammed into the keys with a loud cacophony, shocking him out of thought. "Akako." he sounds tired. So much more tired than Hakuba thought possible. "You said this would help me deal with it, but I think it's only making it worse. It's just-" Kaito ran a hand through his hair, as Akako smirked. "You find an illusion lacking in comparison to the real Hakuba Saguru, then?"
"Yeah." He groaned in frustration. "I'm never letting you get involved in this sort of stuff again, you know? Trust a red witch to make your pining worse..." The last part barely made it to Saguru's ears, before he suppressed a small gasp. Pining?
"I don't think you will have any need for my illusions after today, Ki- Kuroba." He raised his head out of his hands and shot her an incredulous look, before resigning to a mildly annoyed shrug. "You can call me Kid if you like, it's not like anybody but us will hear it."
"Admitting to it now, Kuroba?" This Saguru felt confident in. He could gain his footing back on the situation, and maybe try to push past the fluttery feeling in his chest when Kaito had leaned into a dance with him.
Kaito looked between Akako and Saguru, confusion on his face, before he went back to glaring daggers at the witch. "I thought we agreed that you'd stop your illusions once the music stopped. I don't want to confuse the fake Saguru for the real one."
Oh, and Saguru's heart fought against him for breath at the sound of his name on Kaito's voice. Did Kaito really call him Saguru in private?
"Oh, he isn't one of my tricks, magician. This is the real shining knight."
He looked between Saguru and Akako again, blinking a little in confusion? Befuddlement? embarrassment?
"I'm as real as she says, Kaito. You're a very good slow dancer, actually. It almost surprised me." He heard Kaito's breath hitch slightly at the use of his first name. He hadn't meant to do that, but the nervousness in his chest made him feel on edge.
"No- you can't- Akako stop." He looked aside, breath uneasy. "This is crueller than when you almost had Nakamori kill me. Ten times crueller."
He blinked in confusion. Kaito's voice was wavering, and that was so unlike him. "I'm not lying. What fun would I have in watching you suffer?" Akako asked. Kaito only scoffed at that. "A lot, actually. And I know that he's not real, because-" He turned and looked Saguru in the eyes with such a soft hurt that had his legs moving towards him. "Because there's no way he'd let me do any of that. The slow dancing, the first names, and any intimacy is a no-go with him. If it was, I would have done something about all of this," He gestured between Akako, Saguru, and himself, "A hell of a while ago."
He paused his footsteps, and the echo was deafening.
"Besides." Kaito shrugged, but he could see the tension. "There's no way a guy like him would like a criminal."
Saguru's breath hitched. Did Kaito really think that-
"You're wrong."
Kaito's head turned, and Hakuba almost charged at him from how fast his legs took him. It wasn't gentleman-like at all, but he barreled into Kaito, pulling him into a hug.
"Kaito, I-"
"No. No, no nononono-" He was hyperventilating now, hands clutching almost painfully at Saguru's shirt. How could he prove that he was real? "Please, Kaito. I'm real. Just- god-"
And now his breath was uneven too. How could he have hurt him like that? To make Kaito think that he despised him. It was so wrong.
"Kaito, look at me. Please." He saw the mess of hair turn up, and oh, he was crying now. Kaito was crying. How had he misread the others' arrogance as displeasure? It made him feel sick. He cupped his face.
"Hakuba." The girl pulled his attention away for a split second, more than she deserved considering what he had in his hands at the moment. She smiled again. Sadist, maybe? "The only thing my illusions can't do is kiss." she leaned back. "Do with that information as you please."
And, as quick as she had pulled his attention away from Kaito, she had redirected his focus back to him. He looked at Kaito, eyes wide, hands shakily holding onto his wrists now. He looked so- small, and Saguru had to convince him that he was the real deal, because if he didn't-
He gulped, pushing away the storm of emotions residing in his gut, and pulled Kaito close enough that their noses touched. He could fully hear Kaito's erratic breathing, and how small noises were catching in the back of his throat. His chest twinged with guilt. He had to fix this now, because if he didn't- he wouldn't be able to look Kaito in the eyes again.
And he knew that Kaito would, after this. That he'd hide behind that mask again, just as he'd been doing this entire time, and he'd just- go on as if this had never happened.
That was the worst part. That if Saguru didn't push past his own nerves, Kaito would act like nothing had ever happened. He'd keep watching Saguru from afar, and he would never speak up.
So he had to do it for Kaito's sake.
"I don't know if this is the right thing to do, but- god Kaito, I can't just watch you cry like this. So-" He sighed, before tightening his grip on Kaito's face and leaning in for a kiss.
It was quick, small and chaste, but Saguru had never felt more alive. Kaito's lips felt like a burning flame, almost burning him with their intensity. He pulled back as quickly as he had leaned in, looking at Kaito desperately. "Please Kaito, I'm real." He moved one of Kaito's hands over his own, furious heart. "This is real. I don't want to go back to what we had before. Not after I've had the chance to dance with you."
Kaito's hand grappled at the folds of Saguru's shirt over where his heart was, before relaxing slightly. His blue eyes were shimmery with tears.
"You're real."
"Yes, Kaito. I tried very hard to prove that."
"And you-" Kaito swung a hand around Saguru's neck, pulling him close again. "You like me back?"
Saguru only nodded.
And Kaito- he was laughing? He was laughing. What-? Saguru's face lit up red.
"Kaito, stop- stop laughing! This is a very serious confession." He felt annoyed, but one look at Kaito's laughing face softened him. He really couldn't genuinely stay mad at him, not for too long anyhow.
"Can we dance again, then?" He looked up at Saguru with a softness that made his heart jump all over again, before standing up and pulling him to centre stage. "I really enjoyed your dancing, much more than the illusions."
"Of course."
His response was, perhaps, a tad too rushed. A little breathy, too. But it was worth it to see how Kaito's eyes widened again, beautiful blue pools that he could drown in, if he wasn't cautious, before lightening up. The grin only highlighted how handsome he looked under the stage lights.
The music started up again, and Saguru turned back to see the gloves moving once again on their own. A part of him was tempted to see how it worked. A larger part of him wanted to hold Kaito again.
"Well, tantei?" Kaito bowed, and Saguru mimed. "Ready to dance?"
He would never be ready, not for the whirlwind that was Kaito. But he would try his damn hardest.
"Of course."
He snuck a hand around Kaito's waist, as the other's hand settled on his shoulder.
"Then, let's begin."