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Conan had gotten used to treating Kid heists as safe spots. Sure, they weren't exactly friendly if you took into consideration the amount of potential dangers, but he tended to be at ease while attending them. Even while chasing Kid, there was a tinge of serenity beneath all that adrenaline rush.
In the audience, he was tenser than after catching up to the magician after the heist. From the there, he was nothing more than a mere spectator. His detective title was pointless when he wasn't in the position to use it. He wouldn't be able to properly react if something dangerous occurred.
Yes, heists were usually a safe spot for most. But Kid didn't fit there. The magician wasn't just on the run from officers, but also an organization chasing his cape. And also some other people that didn't like him.
Therefore, being stuck in the crowd wasn't a much favorable option to the shrunken detective. He wanted to help. Both the officers and Kid. But with everyone deeming it too dangerous for him, Conan had to just sit and wait there while feeling nothing more than useless.
He didn't like that the weight of safety was put onto officers and Kid. Especially with so many people coming to see the show.
Officers were there to stop Kid.
And Kid was there to be a thief showman.
He had an unofficial protection policy, and Conan couldn't imagine how hard it had to be for the guy to plan a heist and try to carry it out while having to watch over people. He felt like the least he could do was try to watch over the crowd and try to prevent something bad from happening to them.
And once the heist was over, he could meet with Kid. They already had a way of determining where to meet that only the two of them knew. They wouldn't have to deal with an unwanted guests. And they would share the moment with only the moonlight watching over them.
Kid would return him what he took, ask him how his day was, and everything after that would be different every time. They always shared little nice moments that Conan would look back at fondly. He hoped that it would be no different that one night.
"Kid" he muttered quietly, reaching the rooftop just as Kid put away a gem from the moon's shine. His silhouette was almost gleaming beneath the moonlight, making him appear like a mirage more than a mere human. He smiled Conan's way, long ago stopping with being surprised at how intelligent the boy was.
"Hi Meitantei, did you enjoy the show?" the magician asked, tossing him the gem. Conan caught it. He wanted to scold the other for trusting him so much to catch it, but he knew the thief would just shrug at that.
He couldn't deny that Kid trusting him even in the slightest bit made his stomach flutter more than the adrenaline from chasing him.
"It was okay, a bit too many confetti though" Conan shrugged, grumbling as he dusted some confetti off of his suit with a grimace Kid could tell was just an exaggeration.
"You critics really don't know how to enjoy fun" Kid dramatically sighed, flopping onto the ground few feet away from him. He sat cross-legged, gazing at the shrunken detective with some interest. Another display of trust, Conan had no idea what he did to make the theif be openly comfortable around him.
"How was your day?"
There it was. The ever common conversation starter. Conan still couldn't tell if the other really wanted to know about his day or did he just not know how else to start a small talk.
"Mostly spent it reading, and playing soccer a bit after it stopped raining"
"Then you do know how to have fun?" Kid teased, but his expression was soft and somehow turned even softer at his next sentence "That's good... I'm glad"
He trailed off, voice barely above a whisper. It made Conan more attentive. It wasn't common for Kid to be quiet when it came to words. He was gazing off at something into the ground, the one visible eye showing some sort of melancholy that made the detective a bit nervous. Was he sad about something?
"And you?" he asked, once he realized that the other wasn't going to speak anytime sooner. Kid blinked, startled a bit by the broken silence.
"Me?"
"You also have fun in your own ways, right?" Kid seemed to ponder a bit at the question, looking up while tapping a finger at his chin, expression frowned mildly in thought.
"Yeah?" he sounded insecure, way too insecure.
"Did you do something fun today then?" Conan inquired, a bit interested but also worried at how long it took the other to answer.
"I guess so, pulled some pranks and joked with people"
"But did you have fun?" he pushed, and flinched when he noticed that Kid became aware of his curiosity. The magician narrowed his eyebrows, and mildly glared at the other.
"Meitantei, what is this?"
"What?"
"Why are you asking so much about my personal life? You don't usually do that, you know" Kid crossed his arms and rose his eyebrow.
"Can't a child be curious?" he tried appealing cute by blinking his eyebrows.
"Both of us know you're no child" Kid snickered, which made Conan stop his cute act and roll his eyes. Melancholy seemed to disappear from Kid's features, and Conan decided to stop asking personal questions for the time being.
Kid stood up, and Conan slightly tensed as he didn't expect the movement. The magician approached him, looking at him tenderly before snickering and ruffling his hair.
"Maybe you aren't an actual kid, but you're still cute"
"Oi, stop that idiot" he grumbled, and Kid laughed as he took a step back.
"Why, didn't you ask me to have fun?"
Conan blinked.
"This made you have fun?"
"Metantei, any nice moment with you is very much entertaining"
"Why though?"
Kid shrugged, lifting his hands to emphasize the movement. Then he smirked at the other.
"You're the detective, you tell me"
"Jerk" he clicked his tongue, but took a moment to observe the magician's appearance. Kid seemed relaxed, much relaxed than usual. His features, his posture, everything basically yelled that he was contented in that moment.
"Because you like me?" Conan blurted, blushing as he backtracked what he said with a series of panicked splutters. Kid, on the other hand, just laughed.
"Perhaps I do"
"What about other people though?"
"They aren't you, nobody can measure with you despite your height, Meitantei"
"Stupid thief" Conan huffed, crossing his arms.
"Won't you say it back?"
"Say what back?"
"That you like me back, dummy!" Kid laughed, lifting him up by the waist and spinning him in the air.
"I-Idiot, put me down!"
"Not a chance~" Kid laughed, a pure laughter that didn't match his persona. There was even a light blush dusting his cheeks. He either wasn't afraid of showing it or just didn't notice it in the first place. Conan found it adorable anyways. He even forgot he was in the air for a moment.
The magician soon pulled him to his chest and hugged him with a delighted sigh. The moonlight around them was like a blanket, wrapping them in a comforting embrace.
Kid was holding him gently, and Conan felt like nothing could harm him at that moment. The magician was the protector of people, and Conan concluded it was nice to feel protected by him. Kid's hug was something he didn't know he needed. He was hugged by many people, but this one was different. It felt especially nice for some reason.
It made him feel safe.
Kid said nothing while holding him. No teasing and no commenting. It didn't seem like he was doing that to annoy the detective. If Conan had to conclude, it was more a way of Kid comforting himself.
It made him think back to all the times when they were in danger, and Kid would prolong the embrace a bit longer as if to make sure everything was alright. Conan was aware that he barely knew Kid, and had no idea of his backstory.
Conan sighed softly, hands reaching behind the other's head and gently caressed his hair.
If what it took for this unrecognized hero to be happy was an embrace, Conan would happily give it to him.
At some point, Kid knelt down to let him go only to let out a confused hum once he realized that the shrunken detective wasn't letting him go. His body tensed, Conan noticed.
"Meitantei?" his voice was slightly shaky, and Conan felt even more determined to hold him longer.
"You need it don't you?" Conan muttered, palms coming to briefly rest on the other's shoulders "I don't mind hugging you, hug me for as long as you need it"
It was silent. The next moment, though, Kid seemed to break down completely. His hands clutched at the back of the other's suit, and buried his face in the detective's shoulder. Conan continued to hold him through it. His body was convulsing badly, but let out no sound.
Conan wanted to focus on comforting him, but his mind was still thinking about what could've impacted the thief so harshly.
'Touch-starved, hard time recalling what makes him happy, breaking down at the offered act of kindness... Rough upbringing? Bullying? Depression? There are so many possibilities. He probably won't answer me if I ask him what bothers him. But maybe he has nobody else to ask him. What if he's alone? Perhaps his real identity was contrary to Kaitou Kid. Maybe he was an awkward introvert that avoids people and doesn't find joy in tricks. Hard to believe, but not impossible'
By the time his train of thoughts calmed down a bit Kid's shaking had lessened, his hands had moved slightly upwards to hold the back of Conan's hair, and he was panting from exhaustion.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
Kid shook his head.
"But you do have people you can talk to, right?"
A small pause. Then a nod.
"Have you considered talking to them?"
A shrug.
"Does being Kaitou Kid make it hard for you to speak with them?"
No answer.
'Perhaps he's lost in thought' the detective considered as he backed away from the embrace, but held the other's hands comfortingly. There was that melancholy on his features again. Conflicted about all the things he wanted to say, but with nobody who could understand him.
Conan knew that feeling far too well.
He wanted Kid to know that he could rely on him.
To trust him.
"Hey, Kid" he muttered, and the other rose his gaze from the ground. The magician was so good at concealing his emotions that it was barely any clue he was crying just seconds prior.
"I might be able to help you, being that I may be the only one who can actually understand you. And even if I don't understand everything, or perhaps anything at all, I'll still listen"
'Please trust me'
"No"
"Kid-"
"Meitantei, please" the magician stated firmly "Don't bother solving me, I'm not worthy of your time"
"But-"
"Not to mention that it's too dangerous... even just knowing you is already a threat to my mission"
Conan frowned, but he knew that he couldn't force Kid to speak if he didn't want to. But then why did he trust him so much in the first place? Perhaps it was a different kind of trust. Or maybe not. If Kid trusted him so much, then perhaps he trusted him enough to understand that Kid didn't want him to deal with his own weight.
He didn't want to accept that, but perhaps there was a common ground after all.
"Alright" the shrunken detective sighed "But you'll tell me when it stops being too dangerous, okay? I want to solve you as long as you'll let me"
'Trust me enough to help you one day'
Kid stared at him, a hint of insecurity gleaming in his eye, but nodded. There was that fluttering feeling in his stomach again.
Conan felt relieved.
Kid really did trust him.
After giving his hands an appreciative squeeze, Kid got up and dusted off his suit. The detective noticed the wet spot on his sleeve, suggesting that he was crying into it rather than Conan's suit.
And while he appreciated that, he just wished Kid could take at least a moment for himself. To at least be able to cry without worrying about something.
"I'll get going now" the magician stated, voice carrying some of its trademark cheer "Thank you for the cuddles Meitantei, though if you wanted them you could've just asked~"
'I was comforting you, stupid thief' Conan wanted to counter, but decided against that. He watched as Kid saluted him and then glided off into the moonlit night.
He hoped the other would be able to tell him what was bothering him one day.
Until then, Conan would hold him for as long as he needed.