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Kaito should have known better than to do a difficult heist during a bad weather. It's not like he failed or came unprepared, no, Kaitou Kid is always prepared and ready for anything. He had completed the heist and had tossed the jewel back to the police.
But he wasn't expecting to end up so bruised and battered with cold rain seeping into his clothes. Just few minutes ago, he was grinning at the detective Nakamori and his officers, and that jerk Hakuba. He also made sure to send a small wink Shinichi's way as he glided off. However, a lightning had struck his glider and he ended up crashing into a nearby park's trees. A place where he was supposed to meet with Shinichi after the heist.
It was a quiet park that was rarely occupied due to the heavy vegetation.
Now everything was hurting, but he wasn't about to let himself get caught. Not by Shinichi. Not by Heiji. And especially not by Hakuba. Kaito would rather be tossed into a pool of sharks than have that bastard put a handcuff around his wrist.
He tried assessing the damage his body had sustained. One of the branches tore a large hole on his right arm, but it didn't leave much trace on his pale skin other than a small gash. His knees were slightly bruised, but he was far more concerned about the pain on his rib.
He had managed to limp to a more dry place, a small section between two long ago collapsed trees, but that still didn't stop something from dripping onto his face.
"Ah, crap" he muttered once he realized that he had hit his head during the crash. It wasn't hurting much though, just made him feel very, very lightheaded. He tried patting around the suit for his phone but it wasn't there. Either he left it at his residence or dropped it at some point. Luckily, he had put a safety precaution that would delete all his info if he had lost it. Therefore, his identity would still remain a secret.
'I have to stay awake' he told himself, but his side was hurting so much and the idea of just laying down for a few minutes seemed so alluring. His head fell onto the side of one of the trees, its bark lightly scratching his face. His hat had fallen off and was right by his side. One of his hands clutched onto it for comfort while the other one held onto his bruised side.
It was starting to get awfully cold, and he let got off the hat for a second so he could reach for a dry cape and toss it over himself. But his fingers were starting to freeze and were turning stiffer so he dropped his hand back onto the hat in frustration.
'It'll pass, I just need a moment' he muttered, hiding into himself and burying his hands inside the hat, seeking some warmth 'The world still needs Kaitou Kid'
He sent one of his doves out into the night, hoping for it to return with something, or someone, that would help him.
He tried listening for his surroundings, any clue that someone was near. He did agree to meet with Shinichi in the park, but what if Shinichi saw his fall and reported the police about the possibility of his capture. Maybe they were already plotting his demise. Even if they had a special detective and thief bond, Shinichi was still a loyal dog to the police. And after all the pranks he pulled on them, he wouldn't be surprised if Shinichi did bring the police.
After all, he expected too much from loving a detective. Shinichi never reacted to any of his charming attempts to impress him. He was just a man doing his job. Kaito should have known better than to get attached to someone so different.
He almost managed to lull himself with the sound of the rain and leaves rustling. It was still dark, but fog had begun settling eerily around him, as if preying to get him in case he dared to fall asleep.
'It looks like nobody will find me' he couldn't tell how much time had passed. He kind of wished someone did find him. But Shinichi was the only one who knew he'd be here, and there was still no trace of him.
"I'm so naive... he'd never love a kid like me" Kaito muttered, fingertips finally letting go of his hat after having no more strength to hold onto it. His soaked clothes clung onto his skin like unwanted weight. And his wet hair was causing sneezes to occasionally leave his lips or nose.
'I should try something and get out of here' he thought, but lightnings were still echoing in his ears, even if greatly toned down by his possible concussion. He tried to get up and force his limbs to cooperate. After a few attempts, he had managed to successfully maintain his balance, only occasionally holding onto the tree bark for support.
'Come on, you are Kaitou Kid, you cannot let some silly fall and rainy weather stop you' he tried motivating himself as he adjusted his hat and limped through the rain. It was still pouring, but maybe a bit less. It was hard to tell because he was barely able to feel anything anymore.
His knees gave up after a few meters, too wobbly to support his weight. He considered returning to the dry place, but it was futile to try and stand up again. He tried pushing his weight with his hands, yet neither they provided him with much help.
'I've really messed up this time' he frowned, cushioning the fall of his head with his arm 'I just want to go home'
The coldness was staring to become impossible to ignore, especially with the darkness surrounding him even more. He tried getting comfy on the muddy grass but it didn't concern him anymore. He could barely feel anything anymore. Both physically and emotionally.
'Why did I even think that he'd come?' he asked himself 'If I hadn't been on the way here, maybe my glider wouldn't have been struck by lightning and I could've already been home and play late night to early morning chess with Jii-chan'
He heard rustling few feet away, and even thought he was hearing somebody's voice. But he just prescribed that to the intense loneliness eating him up. Maybe it was just his dove making its way back from an unsuccessful search.
What he couldn't have been imagining were arms that encircled his waist and started to lift him up from the ground.
Kaito's first instinct was to struggle and escape whatever was the wrath that had found him. Even if it felt nice, it might've as well been the embrace of death trying to trick him.
"Shit, Kid, calm down"
'That voice? Shinichi? No, it must be my mind playing tricks on me' he attempted to struggle harder, and almost succeeded when he managed to pry away the arms locked around his waist only to have them encircle his shoulders and pull him closer.
There was familiar fabric against his face. A tie. The one he had used for countless times in his pranks with a certain someone.
"Detective..." he muttered, leaning to rest his head against the other's chest, and felt the detective's chest inflate sharply beneath his cheek.
"Kid?"
"You came" Kaito chuckled softly as he reached to pull something out of his pocket "I'm so glad. Here, I brought you a rose. Sorry if it's a bit muddy, I had a slight accident"
"We need to get you somewhere safe" he didn't hear what Shinichi said because he didn't even spare a second glance to the flower. A white petal fell off as if taking pleasure Kaito's dejection. Kaito felt his mind start to drift off and the hand with the rose dropped limply onto the ground.
"Kid-KID!" Shinichi tried shaking him awake, but Kaito just blinked.
He had no idea if he was even awake anymore. All he could see was Shinichi, and he cared for him. But that Shinichi was most likely nothing more than just a dream.
Warm? Why was he feeling so warm? Did the dove he sent out bring him a blanket? And a nice bed? Hard to believe? Or maybe it wasn't. Could doves carry such hard weight in the first place? Maybe he was just being delusional. That wouldn't really surprise him. Out there stuck in a cold and wet place. Besides, he was already sneezing so that was a sign of a cold, or a potential fever brewing.
But that didn't change the fact that he was warm and comfy.
'So cozy~' Kaito hummed to himself once he regained consciousness. He had no strength to open his eyes, nor move a single limb. He was completely immobilized by whatever kindness had blessed him with such serenity and comfort. He took in a small breath. Wherever he was, it wasn't in the park, in a prison cell, nor in some basement of an evil organization.
No, he was safe and sound for once and for a reason unknown.
Something brushed against his nose as he felt the blanket uncover him to the chest.
"N-No" Kaito huffed, reaching with his still slightly stiff hands to grab and keep the blanket where it was. He knew he shouldn't risk overheating, but it was so warm and nice and fuzzy and he wasn't ready to return back to that park if all of this was just a dream.
"Kid" he heard someone say with a hint of exasperation, but Kaito felt too good to care.
"Leave me alone" he muttered, rolling away from where he presumed the person was. He attempted to drag the blanket over his head in retaliation, but the other didn't let him. Instead, the person latched onto the blanket's edge to prevent him from drawing it any closer.
"Kid" the voice now had a hint of a warning, and Kaito actually stopped moving around for a moment to hear what the person had to say "Can you talk to me?"
"No" he huffed again, rolling away further until reaching the end of the bed and unceremoniously falling off. Kaito groaned, finally deciding to open his eyes and found himself staring at lit up ceiling. Much better than dark night in that park.
'At least I'm not dreaming' he smiled slightly, silently appreciating the person's hospitality.
"Are you okay?" the person asked, and this time Kaito froze. He wasn't focused on the person's voice before but he surely was now. The man was walking around the bed trying to reach where Kaito was and the magician silently shrieked before rolling beneath the bed.
"D-Detective! What's the meaning of this!" he exclaimed, tapping around his suit for anything that would help him escape the situation, only to realize that he wasn't wearing it but rather a pair of cozy, slightly bigger than his usual clothes pajamas.
He was freaked out from everything. And while he was happy to see Shinichi, at this moment the feeling of betrayal in his chest was conquering his emotions over the former.
"Calm down unless you want the whole neighborhood to know that I'm accommodating Kaitou Kid for the time being" Shinichi frowned, crouching to try and see the briskly phantom thief that hiding beneath his bed "Come out now"
"So you can turn me in? No way. Get away from me before I KO you with a sleeping bomb" he was lying, both of them knew that. Kaito was bristling like a feral cat as he tried to back himself further beneath the object as Shinichi began searching around the space with his hand.
"Kid, I won't turn you in. Come out of there now" there was mild agitation in his voice. Even if it fret Kaito, he couldn't stop speaking his mind, too overwhelmed by everything that happened in the last few hours.
"Liar, you were also supposed to show up but you didn't" Kaito tried holding back the sobs, but it was futile, he was so overwhelmed that he had no control over whatever mess that was coming out of his mouth "The only reason I ended up there in the first place was because I wanted to see you. And you've never meant to show up because you never cared-"
A hand locked around the front of his shirt and pulled him out. He was stuck staring into Shinichi's cold and sharp glare with no possibility of hiding from it. Usually, that glare was accompanied by a sense of thrill but no, not this time.
"I did come for you" the detective stated, accenting every word along the way. Kaito's gaze rapidly shifted from staring at Shinich's left to his right eye and vice versa because of how close they were "I was stuck with the other detectives, we were discussing the case, but then I saw that frantic dove of yours and I knew I had to come and find you"
"But you wouldn't have showed up otherwise" Kaito's voice began sliding into a further decrescendo with each word, until it was barely above a whisper "Would you?"
Shinichi paused before looking down and sighing.
"No, not tonight"
"I-I see" Kaito's voice wobbled before he pushed at the other to get away just so he wouldn't see the onslaught of tears threatening to break havoc. His mind was disconnecting the reality around him further and further, leaving him only with static in his vision and mindless rambles leaving his mouth "You don't have to bother with me anymore. I'm perfectly fine to go to my own home now"
"Kid"
"Just show me the way out and I'll be out of your sight and out of your mind. Just let me repair my glider... n-no, I'll be fine without it"
"Kid-"
"Besides, even if I'm not fine, which I'm not saying is the case, it's not like that matters. It's not like I matter-"
"Can you just shut up for five seconds!?" Shinichi exclaimed, and Kaito was frozen in place, staring at the other with mild astonishment and fear. The tears threatening to fall were, too, frozen at the corners of his eyes "No, I wasn't going to come and that's true. I wanted to tell you that during the heist. It was never my intention to hurt your feelings"
"Feelings? What feelings?" Kaito asked with bewilderment, his tone of the voice borderline maniacal as he continued rambling uncontrollably. He just wanted to get away from everything. From the comfort. From the warmth. From Shinichi "I have no feelings! I am Kaitou Kid! Why do you think you're someone special? Just because I'm extra careful towards you doesn't mean I like you. D-Don't get ahead of yourself detective. We both know a detective isn't meant to be together with a thief" he spat the last word so hard that it pained him in the chest hard, as if he was punched with air knocked out of him.
"A mad dream" Kaito muttered before sinking onto his knees "That's all this is. Just let me wake up in that park again. This hurts too much"
There was no use trying to stop his wrecked train of thoughts. He was far too gone. Far too out of reach. Everything around him became nothing more than a blur. He just wanted the world to to forget him, let him drown in his despair.
But the arms around him didn't let him go. And even if they weren't doing much, they were keeping him grounded, keeping him in the reality.
"Kid" Shinichi muttered, but Kaito had no strength to meet his gaze. His tears seemed to be heavy like lead, pulling downwards at his face.
Shinichi went against all that weight by simply placing a hand beneath his chin and lightly angling it upwards.
"I want to explain everything to you, but right now I need you to calm down and listen to me. Do you think you could to that?"
Kaito tried to keep him head as calm and steady as he could while giving the detective a nod of approval. Shinichi nodded back before helping him stand and then staying by his side while the two of them carefully sat down onto the bed. Shinichi noticed how tense the magician was and kept holding his hands reassuringly.
"I'm sorry" Kaito muttered in such an uncharacteristically dejected tone that it even made Shinichi's stoic heart hurt. He was used to seeing Kaitou Kid being this unfathomable entity that brought joy to people, seeing him hide into himself so much didn't sit well with him.
"Don't be" Shinichi told him, moving one of his hands to put it around the thief's shoulders and pull him closer. Kaito leaned onto him like a doll unattached from its strings "Can you listen to me now?"
Kaito nodded in a barely visible motion. Shinichi was glad he was at least able to feel it.
"Okay... So, I..." Shinichi frowned at the lack of words coming to his mind "I'm not very good at this. Speaking my mind and such. And I'm even worse with emotions. Now, the reason I didn't come meet you wasn't because I find your presence undesired and unsought. Quite opposite actually"
Kaito glanced at him with a hint of timid hope sparkling in his bright indigo eyes.
"I like having you near me, but I'm not used to how that affects me yet. The tingling in my chest. And the ringing in my ears. And all the lovey-dovey thoughts I get when I'm near you and what I want to do with you and to you. So many thoughts that a professional detective should be able to block out while on field"
"Maybe you're not a professional detective after all" Kaito chuckled, and even if the teasing remark made him want to roll his eyes, he was glad that the thief regained a bit of his playfulness. He just hoped that his jokes weren't some form of a coping mechanism because that wouldn't help either of them at the moment.
"Anyways, when I received the invitation for tonight I was... baffled, a bit. I know it's not uncommon for us to see each other during the heists, but this wasn't the same. You invited me to see you after the heist. And I couldn't come. I chickened out because I wasn't able to deal with my feelings"
"But you came in the end" Kaito muttered softly, cheek slightly rubbing against the other's neck "Despite not wanting to see me"
"It's not that I didn't want to see you" Shinichi's arm tightened around his shoulders and pulled him even closer. Kaito could feel Shinichi's breath ghosting over his face "I just had no courage to do so at that moment. If your dove hadn't found me, who knows how long you would've remained there"
Kaito shivered at the thought. As if sensing they were speaking about it, the dove appeared and landed on its owner's thigh to rest there. The magician softly smiled as the bird gently pecked his hand. Shinichi watched the two with an amused chuckle.
"Thank you, for finding me I mean" Kaito blushed while trying to avoid the other seeing his blushing cheeks "And I'm sorry for how I acted earlier"
"It was understandable, could you just lay down so I could cheek on your wounds? I'll try to be quick"
Before he even had a chance to reply, Shinichi was already maneuvering him down onto the sheets. Kaito didn't even try to hide the redness in his face anymore. Shinichi being so physically affectionate while also speaking so sweetly and tenderly with him was overworking Kaito's tired brain. He wasn't strong enough to pretend that this much physical affection wasn't affecting him in such a strong way. Especially from someone so special to him.
Shinichi turned on the flashlight on his phone and carefully rolled the top of Kaito's pajamas upwards. Kaito stared with wide eyes as the detective's slim hand reached to inspect the bruised area on his torso.
Kaito shivered the moment his cold hand landed onto his skin and silently squeaked.
Shinichi chuckled and glanced at him softly.
"Sensitive?"
Kaito just glared at him in embarrassment but chose not to comment. It didn't sound as teasing as Kaito perceived it, but that didn't make him any less skittish. He tried to hold back from wiggling too much but he couldn't help himself. The feathery light touch was driving him crazy and he was starting to think that the detective was just provoking him.
His hands tried lightly pushing at the detective's chest only to get pinned down by only one of the detective's hands in the following seconds.
"No touching, I need to finish examining you" again, a simple remark that sounded way too off in Kaito's ears. But Shinichi's hands finally moved away from his ribs to check his arm and knees. They just seemed slightly bruised so he didn't waste much time looking at them. Next up was the wound on his head.
Shinichi's hand rested on his neck to brush away some of his hair aside before moving upwards, gently caressing his chin and cheek before coming to rest beneath his ear. Even the hand pinning down his hands wasn't to be considered as painful. Kaito spend all of the time staring at him in awe. He was still embarrassed to admit, but his touch felt really good. Not like pleasuring good, but it was soothing some deep pain in his chest.
It felt so... tender?
Just how touch-starved was he again?
"Kid?" Shinichi's soft voice brought him out of his thoughts.
"Y-Yeah?"
"You dozed off for a second? Are you okay?" Shinchi's hand was still resting on his skin, but he slightly caressed it with his thumb which almost caused Kaito to purr from how pleasant it felt. He felt an urge to grab the detective, drag him under the covers with him and cuddle him for a while.
"Uh-huh, just a bit sleepy great detective" that wasn't a lie. He was feeling sleepy, but also hot. His vision began blurring and it was becoming harder and harder to see Shinichi's facial features.
"Try to hold on a bit longer for me, okay?" Shinichi told him, the hand holding down his arms giving them a reassuring squeeze.
'For me' Kaito's mind repeated, and this time he couldn't hold back a soft whimper from escaping the back of his throat. But this time he didn't care, just leaned even further into his palm. He even nuzzled against it at how nice it felt.
"Okay, for you" he purred with a drunk smile, eyes glazed over, and this time Shinichi's cheeks blushed in mild surprise. His hand hesitantly moved to rest on his messy hair and then gently ran through it tenderly. It caressed over the wound with such gentleness that Kaito barely felt any pain.
He felt like crying from happiness actually.
With all the overwhelming emotions racing through his veins, he didn't even realize that tears actually started to spill from his eyes.
"K-Kid?" Shinichi stammered in surprise, the hand pinning down the other's backing off in panic "Did-Did I do something wrong?"
Shinichi was about to back away even further, but Kaito's arms locked around his neck and pulled him downwards until Shinichi had to plant his hands on the bed, not to topple over the other. Kaito shivered, arms struggling to hold him from exhaustion but not ready to release him.
"D-Don't let go of me" Kaito hiccuped, tears uncontrollably falling at this point. Shinichi blinked, puzzled, before moving on hand to cradle the back of the thief's hair and balancing his weight on one hand. It threaded comfortingly through the brown locks, trying to offer some kind of tender reassurance.
He felt Kaito bury his face into the side of Shinichi's suit as his body continued to painfully writhe. Shinichi wasn't good at comforting people, he was usually just the one consulting with them after they've already been comforted and his friends explained him the situation so he, hopefully, wouldn't say something stupid.
Knowing that words were not his best form of communication, Shinichi carefully tried laying onto the bed and watched out so that the other's arm or leg wouldn't end up beneath him. Kaito's arms tightened around him, as if thinking that the detective was about to leave him when in reality he was trying to come even closer.
Once he was next to him, Shinichi rested one of his hands around his waist while the other continued to gently soothe the brown locks. They were entangled in each other's limbs, fronts of their bodies pressed flushed against each other.
"Kid?"
"Are you sure this is alright with you, detective?" Kaito muttered in a tone that Shinichi could never prescribe to belonging to a phantom thief "Y-You can pull away you know, you are not obliged to comfort me. Besides, I don't want you to get sick because of me"
"Don't talk nonsense" Shinichi scoffed, leaning to rest his nose into the other's hair. Kaito hummed and buried his face into Shinichi's chest. He smelled so pleasantly nice. Like how early mornings smell when you open the window and greet the sky after the rain. Which reminded him...
"Hey detective, do I stink?" he craned his head slightly upwards only to see Shincihi staring at him incredulously.
"No? Should you?"
"Well, considering that I was stuck in that park after the heist, which may I add can be very stressful, I'd assume that I would be carrying some form of a foul scent"
"That you mean" Shinichi hummed "I gave you a quick wash when I had brought you here"
"You what!?"
"Don't worry, I didn't take off your underwear, just passed over your skin with some wet towels and water" Shinichi blushed, realizing how wrong it sounded when he had initially said it. He felt embarrassment creep onto his face in form of a blush he hoped the other wouldn't notice.
"A-Ah, really?" Kaito laughed awkwardly, unfocused eyes darting everywhere but at the man in front of him "Th-Thank you detective"
Shinichi hummed in response before sighing. He was tired, and Kaito was probably too. His skin was slightly warm, most likely from being so overwhelmed.
He reached to rest his hand against Kaito's cheek and took his time observing the drunk and dazed swirl in his blue eyes.
"You're burning up" he stated and was met with the other's wobbly smile.
"It's your fault, great detective" he snickered softly and Shinichi huffed before secretively grinning.
"Should I move away then?"
"I did not ask that of you" Kaito pouted, arms tightening around the other without any particular strength. His eyes were droopy, but he still carried that silly energy of his which made it hard for Shinichi to accept the idea of taking a nap beside the thief. Still, he knew that if he didn't agree on the nap, the thief probably wouldn't nap either. Kaito filled him with so much joy that it was hard for him to describe in words.
"You're tired" Shinichi observed and got a small nod in response "Wanna take a short nap?"
"With you?" Kaito blinked at him curiously.
"Who else?" Shinichi chuchkled, enjoying how sheepish the thief in his arms was. It was amusing to see someone who can manage his emotions well lose his composure and become a tingly mess. He silently hoped that he'd be able to tease the theif like that in the future too.
Seeing him shyly blushing and stare at him like he's the most priceless gemstone in the world made something warm stir in his stomach. And that warmth would turn into something cold at the thought of losing those little things.
He didn't even realize how much the thief meant to him until he saw him in the park all battered, bruised and helpless. Any doubts he might've had about him had completely vanished. And Shinichi's insides tightened at the fear of what could have happened if he hadn't decided to show up.
Kaito was entirely clueless to the internal fight Shinichi was having. He was so lost in his fever that all he cared about was having the other impossibly close to him. He repeatedly tried burying his face into the detective's chest, and his arms would clench and unclench periodically on his back.
Shinichi let his hand gently thread through the brown locks as he let himself relax into the overall softness of the cozy atmosphere. He snuggled deeper into the blankets, not caring about overheating in the slightest. He just wanted to feel Kaito and whatever he brought with him as much as he could. He didn't care anymore what the tides of the future would bring him as long as he had his precious partner by his side.
'Is it still early to call him my partner?' Shinichi asked himself as he finally started to feel exhaustion pull down curtains over his eyes. The only thing still grounding him to the reality was the feeling of Kaito in his arms.
Around an hour passed when Shinichi woke up. It was still dark outside and he was laying on his back, one hand feeling the edge of the mattress while the other was clutched by the phantom thief whose fever had probably risen, judging by how anxious his grip on Shinichi's hand was. It was shaky, but firm. Afraid to let go in case that would lead him back to that dark park.
Shinichi wouldn't allow him to go back there ever again. And there didn't just mean the park. He wouldn't let Kaito feel lost and helpless. His heart would break if he was to witness so much pain in the indigo eyes ever again.
Kaito was burning up, but he was inching closer and closer to Shinichi. And when the detective attempted to throw away the blanket off of them, he was enveloped in a hug that pinned both his arms to his sides.
"Kid, wake up" he whispered, trying to gently shake the other.
"Shinichi..." Kaito muttered, and Shinichi blushed at the lack of formal addressing in his tone. It felt like he was a stuffed toy of an over-sized kitten.
"Your fever spiked" Shinichi stated as he gently brushed his lips over the warm forehead.
"Hmm, I'm just tired... and you are so cozy... I just wanna stay like this 'nichi" he spoke through a whisper, his hazy eyes opened and stared longingly into the detectives.
"Do you need anything?" the blue eyed man tried to think of whatever was necessary in cases of fever. Medicine and water. Also tea. Did Kid even drink tea? He probably did, but with lots of sugar.
"You" Kaito answered sharply, eyes slightly clearing only to close as he leaned to rest his head against the detective's chest. Shinichi flushed slightly.
"I meant like-"
"Just you, Shinichi" nervousness was filling up his stomach as he felt Kaito's lips through his own shirt. The thief's arms slightly tightened around him, and his body was starting to move more and more onto his chest. Shinichi freed one of his hands so he could gently card it through the other's hair and move away some damp locks from his forehead.
Kaito slightly whimpered, angling his head so Shinichi was cradling his cheek with him contently leaning into the touch.
A small purr left his throat and he was leaning more forward until he was nosing at Shinichi's collarbone.
"You smell like vanilla and coffee" Shinichi braced himself for any strange sensation, but only felt the thief's nose curiously feeling the area. Soon enough, his head dropped onto the detective's shoulder and his arms moved upwards to lock around his neck.
"Shinichi..." he whined softly.
"Kid?"
"It's so warm, but I don't want to let go of you"
"You idiot, you'll get even more sick this way" Shinichi huffed exasperatedly, but didn't miss how the thief lightly flinched at being scold. He apologetically caressed his cheek before moving to get up. Kid reluctantly held him even if there was not much strength behind it.
"Listen, I'll give you something else to hold until I come back, okay?" Kaito looked at him with curious eyes before nodding and weakening his grip. Shinichi climbed out of the bed and reached for his desk. There was this one plush from his childhood that he always left near bed in case he wasn't sleeping with it. It was a dog with mini police suit. He handed it to the thief with a small 'Be careful' but he didn't know if it reached the other's ears.
But when he saw how gently he cradled the plush, he realized he didn't even have to worry. Kaito was hugging it gently. Wrapping around it protectively and humming in content. Shinichi smiled softly before heading for the kitchen. He took out two cups and went to brew water for coffee and tea. Once he did, he stared at all the tea flavors located in his cupboards: mint, chamomile, forest fruit, apricot, mountain tea... he had no idea which one Kid would like though.
"Should I make him some coffee then? Everyone likes coffee"
That didn't prove correct though. Kaito didn't state it, but he could see how much the thief frowned at the bitterness.
"Should I put more sugar inside?" the thief stared at him as if he was insane.
"Are you saying you already did?" he asked in a raspy voice.
"Two spoons"
"Are you trying to kill me?"
"Huh?"
"Give me the sugar bag?" Kaito demanded, the fog in his eyes clearing a bit.
"You mean the container?" Shinichi hoped that was the case.
"No, the bag"
Few moments later, Shinichi was staring in bewilderment as Kaito irrationally poured the ingredient into the coffee. The liquid had almost spilled over the edge of the cup by the time he was done and he handed back the bag with a big grin.
"You are crazy"
"Thank you detective"
"That wasn't a compliment, idiot" Shinichi huffed as he took a sip of his own coffee. It felt very sweet even if he didn't know whether that was because of the atrocious amount of sugar in the other's coffee or because he was visual sugar to the detective's tired eyes.
Kaito drank the coffee, even if still a bit begrudgingly regardless that he had made it taste like liquid coffee cake rather than normal, plain coffee. He placed the cup down and Shinichi moved to take it away with his own. When placing the cups into the dishwasher, he was surprised to see that there was no sugar remains at the bottom of his cup. Was he really such a big sugar addict?
When he returned, Kaito was out cold and cuddling with the plush. Shinichi was almost jealous at the amount of attention the toy was receiving. Especially since those arms were wrapped around him mere moments ago.
'Come on Shinichi' he scolded himself 'It would be petty getting jealous at your own plush'
But even so, just staring at Kaito hugging the plush close with so much satisfaction brought sourness into Shinichi's mouth.
"Hey Kid, I'm back. Let me move it away now" he reached to pull it away, but Kaito only clutched it tighter and even rolled away from the detective. Shinichi felt embarrassment pool in his stomach, but he shrugged it away as he took a seat at the edge of the bed. The coffee gave him a bit of energy, but seeing the other so cozy and soft made him want to return back under the covers. Especially since he had nothing to do.
With a small sigh, Shinichi moved to lay down beside him, his back towards the thief. He didn't expect Kaito to turn around and hug him with one arm while the other was still holding the plush.
'So cuddly' Shinichi scoffed, also turning around to embrace the thief back. He tried thinking of an idea to help Kaito, but it was hard if all the teen would be doing was sleep all day. It turned out that he didn't like coffee, or at least not the one Shinichi drank on a regular basis.
'What else should I offer him?' he wondered, playing with the hair on the back of the thief's head.
"Hey, which tea do you like?"
"Peach, but cold" Kaito hummed and Shinichi frowned because he didn't have any peach tea, much less iced. The detective wasn't fond of sweet drinks. His friends barely managed to talk him into having some juice.
"What about milk?" Shinichi asked. Milk was sweet in a way, right? Maybe it could satisfy the thief's sweet tooth.
"Do you have cocoa?" Kaito blinked at him hopefully.
"I think so" he moved to get up, but felt arms wrap up from behind him and pull him back down. His back fell against the sheets as the thief latched onto his arm with all of his limbs.
"Waiiiiiit, don't go yet"
"You're so childish" Shinichi chided, and Kaito immediately stiffened before letting go of the other.
"I'm sorry" his tone was way too quiet than normal, and the dejection in his voice made a shiver run down the detective's spine. He tried taking a better look at the other's features, but couldn't see anything from the hair falling over his eyes. Shinichi tried bringing a hand over the locks to pull them backwards but Kaito recoiled, hugging the dog plush tighter and put some distance in between them.
"Kid, I didn't-"
"It's fine, I know when I'm too much"
"I really don't mind"
"You don't have to act so I could feel better, detective"
"You don't understand-"
"Just drop it"
And Shinichi did, at least for some time. He'd try to inquire latter, but he knew that the tensions were high at the moment and it wasn't worth adding even more onto them. Kaito had a fever and it wouldn't do any of them good if they continued the conversation.
Shinichi tried reaching for the hand that was previously hugging him and was surprised when the other didn't pull away. He tried rubbing soothing circles into his palm in a form of a silent apology.
"I really don't mind, Kid" Shinichi found himself saying before he could stop himself "I don't have many people to hug or hold hands with, but that doesn't mean that I dislike doing those things with you"
"But you really don't have to do that just for my sake"
"You're making it sound like I don't take any pleasure from this"
"You mean-"
"It feels nice"
"I-I see... I'm glad detective"
"Would you still like that cocoa though, while I still feel like getting up?"
"Yes please~" Kaito finally decided to let go of him. Shinichi momentarily missed the other's embrace before getting up and heading towards the kitchen. He quickly prepared the drink and then headed back into the room.
As he entered, though, he stopped. Kaito was staring at the vase with a single white rose on the window.
"You kept it" the trickster muttered "You actually kept the rose"
"Yes?" Shinichi frowned, was he not supposed to keep it.
"I'm just surprised, I remember it being smudged when I offered it to you. Not really the best gift"
"Smudged or not, it's still a rose. And it's from you" Shinichi answered as he and the thief sat back onto the bed.
"Here" he offered the drink to the trickster who thanked him with a small smile. But the moment he tasted the drink, he slightly recoiled.
"Not sweet enough?" Shinichi scoffed. He was starting to wonder where the thief's sugar limit was.
"This is not cocoa" Kaito remarked, but didn't stop drinking it. Shinichi felt utterly confused by the other.
"What do you mean by that?"
"This is hot chocolate"
"What's the difference?"
"Cocoa is sweeter and has cocoa as its source. You make hot chocolate with melted solid chocolate. Not the same"
"Ah, so the problem is in the sweetness, again" Shinichi rolled his eyes while Kaito pouted "I cannot believe you can sense the difference"
"At least it doesn't taste as bad as your coffee"
"Excuse me!?" Shinichi exclaimed before leaping onto the other and messing his already ruffled hair. He toppled Kaito over until it was just the two of them on the silken sheets.
"Nobody's allowed to say anything against coffee, not under this roof" the detective swatted at the hands trying to push him away and then pinned them down above the thief's shoulders.
"Hey! Not fair! I'm a recovering patient!" Kaito screeched, desperately trying to wiggle his way out. His face was flushed, hair adorably unkempt, he looked like a mess and Shinichi was enjoying every second. But he still wanted to have him flush even more and also make his hair even messier. The detective enjoyed crumpling down everything that was the thief's mysterious identity and seeing the person beneath the mask more and more.
"A patient that needs to learn some manners~" Shinichi snickered, knowing he had the full power here. But of course, he wouldn't do anything to could potentially harm the other. He could never not even to uncover the mystery of Kaitou Kid "How about saying sorry?"
"For what!?" Kaito exclaimed but his words were barely intelligible from how raspy his voice had turned. Shinichi could clearly see the fever flush enveloping the thief's face as well as his neck and partially shoulders. His pajamas were really big if they couldn't hide Kaito's shoulders properly.
"Don't act dumb Kid" the detective tried to remain calm and collected, but being so close to the other and being able to see each and every detail on his face was filling his head with a heat that made him wonder if he had perhaps picked up the other's illness.
"Shinichiiiii" Kaito wailed, trying to wiggle his way out but to no avail, magic tricks wouldn't help him this time.
He was caught by the great detective, completely at his mercy.
His amygdala went off, sending him signals to either face the thief or flee. He suddenly started to feel a bit insecure, primarily due to the lack of distance between the two of them. Not to mention the vulnerable position he was in. He was on the detective's bed, pinned down by his favorite critic that might've called the police while he was away and was currently making sure that he wouldn't escape.
But that couldn't be... Shinichi wouldn't do that. He was a detective though, wasn't his job to turn in bad guys?
Maybe he was just too blinded from the fever to rationally think. He wanted to believe his beloved detective but also maintain his identity a secret for the time being. Yet all that thinking was started his body to shiver and vision to blur a bit.
The thief went still as a particularly bad wave of pain stormed through his head. Shinichi took notice of the sudden motionless and the pained grimace on his face.
"I'm sorry, I didn't realize I was hurting you" he recoiled, trying to put slightly more distance between them. But even through the fever delirium, Kaito still had his agility. He shot out of the bed and grabbed the other's hand.
"Shinichi..." Kaito's hands gently held the detective's "Please don't turn me in"
"What are you on about?" Shinichi grimaced as if insulted, he couldn't bear to do that. Not while the thief was so... vulnerable "I will maybe turn you in one day, but not now while you're injured"
"Are you just trying to get under my skin then? Because you wouldn't be doing all these things without some ulterior motive. And I'm so, so stupid here thinking that there was anyone out there who could love a failure like me"
"Kid..."
"Shinichi... I'm sorry but... I think I like you. It's not smart of me to stay here anymore. Not when knowing you don't feel the same hurts so much. We can still see each other at the heists though, hahaha. If you still feel like attending them, of course"
Kaito didn't get to blabber anymore as a pair of lips silenced his own with a chaste kiss. Kaito blinked, eyes going from dry from shock to teary with the emotional overdrive.
"Silly thief" the detective muttered, blue eyes glinting with hurt "I like you"
Shinichi patiently waited for the other's reaction. Kaito's hands soon came to rest on his shoulders, but they neither pushed him away nor pulled him in.
"Kid?"
"Shinichi... I can't... why... wait... are you sure?"
"Idiot, what do you think?" Shinichi wasn't patient enough to wait for the answer and leaned down to press another kiss against Kaito's lips, this time longer and more coaxing. He wanted the thief to do something, pull him in or push him away. He didn't like seeing the other so lost.
"I-I'm sorry" Kaito stammered and Shinichi blinked, confused at the apology "But I don't know how to kiss"
The detective softly chuckled, for someone so flirty Kaito sure was adorable when reduced into a mess of blushes and squeaks. Shinichi felt the urge to kiss him, bite him, mess him up even more just to see what was behind that silly facade of his.
But not now, not while everything Kaito needed was a rest.
"That's fine" he gently kissed the thief's forehead "It's okay to take your time, we can try again when you feel better. Maybe I'll even teach you... show you how to kiss properly"
Shinichi was by no means super experienced, but he took pleasure in the flabbergasted expression that momentarily crossed the other's face. Kaito turned away from him, prompting Shinichi to flop down beside him.
"It's not a big deal, you'll see. However, I do have to admit that you're cute all flustered like this"
Kaito clicked his tongue, arms tightening around his own shoulders as he turned away from the detective to hide the flustered grin on his face.
"Whatever you say, dear detective"
Kaito fell asleep just moments before Shinichi's alarm was about to go off. They had spent lots of time on just holding each other and talking barely above a whisper. The morning brought sun shining and birds chirping alongside an onslaught of emotional stress for Shinichi. He had kissed the phantom thief. That was definitely not on his late night activities list.
He turned around to try and reach for his alarm so he could turn it off. There was this weird habit of his where he would wake up 5-10 minutes prior to the time he had set on his alarm clock. He had to wonder though, why was it on in the first place? It's not like he was busy with something... oh right, he was. There was no rushing though, he had set up five alarms before turning them off. He had a lot of time to prepare for heading out even with barely catching any sleep.
However, he didn't want to, especially with Kaito hugging him from behind. Face barely visible from where it was, nose and lips hidden from Shinichi's own shirt. It was warm where the thief's nose was blowing some hot air onto it. He didn't want to leave Kaito, especially after realizing that the thief had feelings for him. He wanted to stay and hold him for as long as the world let him.
Shinichi turned around so he could check his temperature with his hand.
'It's dropped' he noted, fingertips moving to gently brush away rebelling strands of his hair from his cheek only to end up with the thief contently rubbing his cheek against his hand.
'Is this payback for teasing you earlier?' Shinichi wondered, biting his lip to prevent any stupid reaction from his body. The thief had some reaction on him, Shinichi concluded. He had brought some strange feeling of softness to the detective prodigy's mostly gloomy life.
Kaito mildly scrunched his nose, body coiling more around the little plush Shinichi gave him. He happily exhaled, and the detective was conflicted between feeling tranquil and jealous.
'Not again' the detective frowned 'Is that plush really a better cuddling material than me?'
Shinichi placed his arms around Kaito with a soft huff. No, he definitely wasn't. Not a chance.
"I can hear that marvelous brain of yours going haywire" Kaito giggled sleepily, eyes barely opening from how exhausted he was. Shinichi had no time to process that he's awake as the thief leaned up to leave a chaste kiss onto the detective's lips "Don't worry 'nichi, you're still my favorite for cuddling, but the plush is warm. Maybe I can get you to be warmer than it though~"
Before the Kaito's words registered in Shinichi's mind, the thief had already climbed onto him, arms and legs framing the detective's slim form. He briefly peppered the other's neck with soft kisses and bite before moving upwards and kissing him on the lips.
Shinichi was sure the kiss was better, more relaxed than before. Kaito was still clueless about kissing but it seemed like he was opening up about it. Something that triggered a feeling of possessiveness in his chest. The thief was showing him his tender, vulnerable side. Shinichi would definitely not make him regret that.
But as he tried to press more into the kiss, Kaito's head lolled forwards and fell on his shoulder.
'Ah' Shinichi's mind reacted after a moment of confusion and he gently patted the other's head 'He fell asleep'
As much as he enjoyed having the thief's body flushed against his own, he knew it was time to wake up and do the early morning errands. He couldn't just leave the other alone though.
"Hey, Kid" he shook his shoulder gently, wanting to rouse him from sleep as lightly as possible "Wake up"
"Just a bit more 'nichi" the other responded, his body latching onto the detective's and arms clinging around his neck. Their legs got tangled yet again, and Shinichi doubted that the thief would let him go easily.
"I gotta do some things, but I'll be back as soon as possible" Shinichi stated, placing a small kiss onto his hair.
Kaito groaned into his shirt before letting go and rolling into the opposite direction, once again clutching the plush toy close to his chest and curling around it.
"Okay, but be back soon" the other muttered.
"I will" Shinichi told him as he fixed his blanket and went about his morning routine. He made sure to leave a small note as well as the copy of his keys on the table where the thief could see them. After one last look at the thief, Shinchi locked the doors and left.
He definitely wasn't to take too long being away from the mansion. He yearned for a nice, breezy morning on the terrace with a cup of coffee on the table and a book in his hand. And if he was able to get the cute thief to, perhaps, lay in his lap on the sofa, he'd be a happy man.
His errands included briefly stopping at the police station where he got some strange looks, mostly because he appeared to be in a rather good mood, even if their latest attempt of capturing Kid failed. Next up was buying some groceries. He himself was surprised with the concentration of sugar in his shopping bag when he came to the cash register. Did the thief really affect him so much? He decided to spare that 'few' thoughts after he paid and began heading back to the mansion.
'We've known each other for a very long time now, but we know barely anything about each other. We've been on the opposite sides all this time yet we still found something that we are attracted to in one another. He's a thief, I am a detective. But what when we are not those things? Am I supposed to resent him just because he's a thief? There is a person beneath that facade. An actual human being that cares for people and wants them to be happy. Just being around him fills me with so much joy'
Shinichi pulled out his phone and glared at it.
'I can at least try'
"What are you doing?" Shinichi scoffed after unpacking the groceries and visiting the thief. During his brief time being away, Kaito had managed to build a fort of pillows and blankets. It had taken up almost the whole width of his bed and didn't appear to be too welcoming for a stiff detective like him.
Kid, however, wasn't known for being of bad form. Being a phantom thief certainly made him very agile. That also applied to being able to fit into forts apparently.
"Meitantei was gone so I decided to have a bit of fun with my creative building skills" the other giggled. He seemed so cozy and cuddly surrounded by all those soft materials, Shinichi just wanted to cuddle him close. The butterflies in his stomach weren't helping with holding himself back from tackling the thief and having his way on the mess of pillows and blankets.
"Get out of there, silly thief" Shinichi muttered, approaching closer. He didn't expect to be pulled onto the bed by his tie though. His less than elegant fall was cushioned by some pillows Kaito didn't use. The thief snickered at how startled the detective seemed by the action.
Shinichi felt mildly embarrassed, uncomfortable with how his body was positioned. His chin was on the bed, torso slightly twisted and legs left dangling off the edge. He was used to being seen as someone strict and stoic. Not someone who was rarely embarrassed. Yet the thief was joking with him, and getting him worked up rather easily.
Shinichi took some time to collect himself all while Kaito was snickering mischievously, slightly enjoying seeing the detective so clumsy.
It wasn't the first time Kaito had joked with him.
For someone tending to wear mostly white and be the gentlest being out there, he sure knew how to be a pain in the neck sometimes.
"Not funny" Shinichi muttered with a frown, though no real anger was audible in his speech.
"I thought a detective like you would know more than to let a thief like me to get too close" Kaito chuckled, but there was slight sadness in his voice once he thought over his statement. Detective and thief. They would soon have to go back to their duties. Kaito would have to return back to being Kaitou Kid, and that Shinichi would be back to being a critic that just comes to see the heists.
'This won't last' hung in the air unaddressed.
The trickster shrunk a bit inside of his little fort while the critic readjusted his position.
"I don't want to end this" Kaito muttered. Shinichi reached inside the fort to gently rest his palm on top of his hand.
"Me neither" their eyes finally met and Kaito reached to pull him into an almost desperate kiss. Shinichi met him back with equal force. He wanted to deepen the kiss and ravish him at the spot, but he knew that the trickster wouldn't be too glad about his fort being ruined so soon.
They decided to maintain a gentle undertone, wanting to enjoy the emotions, the yearning of each other's affection, more than the physical aspects. What brought them together in the first place were their strong feelings for each other.
"This doesn't have to be the end though" Shinichi told him, and Kaito looked at him with a puzzled but hopeful gaze "I spoke with the inspectors, there might be a way for you to continue doing the Kaitou Kid shows without the police on your tail as much"
"Really?" Kaito exclaimed, head shooting up and almost knocking off the pillow above his head.
"We'll have a meeting with them. And we might even come with the terms that'll let your identity still be a secret"
"My identity..." Kaito muttered, eyes widening before his head dropped slightly "I still haven't told you who I am Shinichi"
"I don't care" the detective placed a hand on his cheek "Take your time, I know that there's a kindhearted person in the one beneath the mask. And that's enough for me"
"I'm sorry but... you don't even know me like actually know me. And the inspectors-"
"-will understand" Shinichi stated firmly, moving his hand from the other's cheek to his chin to gently lift it up "This doesn't change anything. I'll still be a detective despite our relationship, and will still serve to justice. And in regards to knowing you, as far as I know, you're not an enemy of justice. So the inspectors shouldn't meddle into what we have. Seeing you doesn't mean that I'm not still a part of the police force. If I can communicate this with them, they'll probably accept it at some point"
"You're willing to go through so much for me" the detective watched tears well up in the indigo eyes.
"Kid-"
"Kaito, Kuroba Kaito" the trickster cut him off with a timid tone, but the grip that found its way around Shinichi's wrist was firm. The detective blinked, trying to let the words settle in. In a few more moments, his eyes widened in shock.
"You-"
"I trust you" Kaito took his hands into his and gave him a big beaming smile.
"Thank you, Kaito" Shinichi smiled back before embracing the other teen.
"Thank you, Shinichi" Kaito replied before playfully smirking, his hands started lightly pulling him in "Now come and join me for some cozy cuddles, if you're feeling like it, of course"
Shinichi nodded, entering the fort and laying down next to the trickster. He wouldn't mind spending a bit more time with the other in his arms.
Once Kaito had gotten better, the two of them decided to visit the police station together. Of course, that earned bewildered looks from many people there. Before people could recklessly react, Shinichi briefly explained that they were there to negotiate with the inspectors.
Kaito was beside him in his Kaitou Kid suit with all his equipment ready if he had to flee, but he still wasn't too comfortable just standing there beside the detective while police officers stared at them.
Shinichi noticed that and reached to hold Kaito's gloved hand into his own, a little gesture of reassurance. He knew how hard it must've been for him to appear in the place that was after him for a very long time. The inspectors promised not try and capture him. Kaito, of course, wasn't the most trusting and neither was Shinichi.
Anyone who had any idea about how big of a deal capturing Kaitou Kid wouldn't be too fond of letting him roam around the police station.
They met the inspectors soon after. Despite their initial argument, they ended up accepting the terms of the other two.
They decided that Kaitou Kid would become a showman, someone who was to be treated like national treasure. The heists would become more like shows, but unmasking him wasn't the purpose anymore. The police agreed to have Kaitou Kid as their secret agent and assist them in protecting the city from criminal activities.
After the meeting was over, Kaito quickly embraced Shinichi.
"Does this mean that things will work out?" he asked, voice barely audible from how quiet it was.
"Probably, at least you don't have to worry about the police so much anymore"
"Having you as a detective is already enough, Shinichi. Though I don't mind that. If I'm the best phantom thief I want the best detective to chase me down even if he's my own partner" Kaito laughed before hugging him again. Shinichi let out a content sigh before smirking and releasing the other so he could pull lightly at his hat.
"Don't get ahead of yourself, I'll still try to chase you down like a true detective"
"Dearest detective, I wouldn't want it any other way" Kaito grinned playfully, and Shinichi smirked as the two leaned in to share another kiss.
Perhaps the story of the detective and the phantom thief was just beginning.