Chapter Text
"I don't understand why I have to go as well," Kaito grumbled as he reluctantly followed behind Aoko. "They're your friends."
She looked back over her shoulder at him and scowled. "Kaito only started complaining when he learned we are meeting them at the beach. Before that, Kaito had no problem meeting Aoko's new friends."
"Yeah, that was before I learned what terrible taste they have. Why did they pick the beach of all places?"
Hakuba chimed in, speaking as if he was giving a lecture, "The beach is a perfectly reasonable location for recreational activities with friends, especially during the summer."
Kaito stuck his tongue out at the back of Hakuba's head before turning to Akako. "What about you? I figured you'd be too busy reading your crystal ball, or something. Why did you want to come?"
He regretted asking when she gave him a smile that was anything but friendly, as if he was a fly struggling in a web and she was the spider. "Lucifer told me that Kaitou KID would fall, and I wanted to witness such events. It is sure to amuse me."
"I don't know what that has to do with me since I'm not KID," Kaito mumbled under his breath, more on principle as Akako had lost interest in him and was now listening to Aoko chat away excitedly. He continued to sulk as he followed behind them. He shifted the small cooler he was carrying from one hand to the other so he could adjust the bag slung over his shoulder. Well, it should be fine so long as he avoided the water. If he got hot, he could always get his feet wet, that should be safe.
Sooner than he would have like, they arrived at their destination. Aoko looked left and right, scanning the small crowd. The beach fortunately wasn't overly crowded today, but there was still a fair amount of people. "She said they were already here…" Aoko said.
"Who?" Kaito asked, realizing he didn't actually know who they were supposed to meet.
Aoko shook her head. "Kaito wouldn't know them. Aoko met them in the crowd at a KID heist. They go to Teitan High."
"Wait, Teitan High?" Kaito narrowed his eyes suspiciously. But it couldn't be, right? What were the chances?
"Nakamori-san, over here!"
"Mouri-san!"
'Lady Luck, why have you abandoned me?'
Mouri Ran was coming to greet them, followed closely behind by Suzuki Sonoko. Kaito followed the direction they were coming from and sure enough, he spotted a familiar cowlick. Meitantei was spreading beach towels underneath a large umbrella.
"I did not realize Kudou-san would be here," Hakuba said brightly.
"Yeah… neither did I…" Kaito said. Akako caught his eye and give him a smug smile.
0-0-0-0-0
The official story was that Conan had returned to America to live with his parents, and Shinichi had come back from that major case he'd been working on. Few knew the actual truth. Kaito was one of them. Hell, he'd even been involved in Meitantei's triumphant return.
That didn't mean they were friends. Even if he might wish otherwise. But no, their relationship was one of thief and detective. Perhaps not enemies, at best rivals. But not friends.
Sometimes he wondered if Kudou was still trying to put him behind bars. There had been more than one occasion when he could have sworn the detective had directed the task force down the wrong hallway. Then a soccer ball would hit him square in the back (luckily without the power shoe boost, but damn it still hurt) proving the detective was still trying to catch him.
KID could play with the detective all he wanted. But as much as he would love to dream otherwise, it would be best if he kept his civilian identity far away from him. Kudou was sure to recognize him should they ever meet outside of a heist. Thus, they could never meet.
It had been such a lovely plan until the force that was social butterfly Aoko had unknowingly ruined it.
Kudou had zeroed in on him the moment Aoko had introduced him to the Beika group. Which wasn't even fair. Kaito hadn't even done anything yet. Kudou's staring had at least earned him an elbow to the ribs by the young heiress, who had whispered something that had made Kudou's face heat and causing him to avert his eyes.
Introductions out of the way, Kaito had bolted, throwing some excuse over his shoulder about purchasing ice for the coolers from the seaside convenience store. After that, it had been as simple as avoiding the detective. Or at least, as simple as could be when they were forced to be within the same vicinity.
It had been going well, at least at first. When everyone else was splashing in the water, Kaito was sunbathing. And when they wanted to rest on their towels, Kaito decided it was a great time to go for a walk. Aoko was starting to frown awfully hard at him, and Hakuba was giving him an arrogant knowing grin. Akako was… actually, he was trying to avoid her too. She kept looking at him expectantly, and he remembered what she'd said. Well she'd have to get her entertainment from somewhere else.
He hadn't expected Kudou to confront him.
"You're avoiding me."
Kaito paused with the soda raised halfway to his lips. "Pardon?"
"Have I done something to offend you?" Kudou asked, and Kaito knew that look. It was the face Kudou made when a mystery had caught his attention. He needed to kill that curiosity now. Squash the part of him that found the attention attractive, and just act bland and normal, completely boring
"Of course not, I barely even know you. We've only just met today," he responded before taking a swig from his bottle.
Kudou frowned. "That's not true."
Kaito raised his eyebrows. "Have we met before? I'm afraid I don't remember."
"Do you think I don't recognize you?" Kudou asked impatiently. "I know you're Kaitou KID."
"Kaitou KID, you mean like the thief?" Kaito asked with a laugh. "Sorry, you've got the wrong guy."
Kudou gave him a level look. "No, I don't."
Kaito closed his eyes and internally sighed. He had hoped he would be wrong. He had thought of numerous ways to "accidentally" run into the detective as his civilian self, allowing them to meet and get to know each other better. Now it was finally happening, completely without his interference, and it was playing out just as he'd feared.
He'd thought… had hoped… but it didn't really matter anymore, did it?
Kaito gave the detective a smile, knowing and not caring that it didn't reach his eyes. He could no longer feel the heat of the sun against his skin, or hear the waves and the call of the gulls. It all felt distant, like the world had backed off from this conversation. Even the colors didn't seem as bright. "You detectives are really all the same, aren't you?" he asked, speaking low.
Kudou heard him anyway. "What?"
"I'm here with my friends trying to enjoy a day at the beach, and you accuse me of being a criminal. Without proof, I might add. So what are you going to do, call the police? Drag me to the station for questioning, just to ruin my day and make yourself feel better for a moment?"
The detective looked taken aback. "Wait—"
"Just leave me alone, Kudou!"
He began to turn, fully intending to storm off, but froze. The ground had begun to glow. The light was crimson red and as he stared, it concentrated and formed curved lines, with the two of them inside its borders. More lines of light burst forth, cutting into the ground a series of geometric shapes and intricate patterns.
'A magic circle,' his mind supplied in trepidation.
A red aura was rising from the circle, dancing in the air like flames, or maybe it was floating like mist? He heard chanting and knew it was Akako somewhere to his right, probably outside of the circle based on the how distant she sounded. He didn't actually check though. Because as soon as he looked up from the ground, he locked eyes with Kudou and was unable to move his gaze.
Kudou was wide eyed, searching Kaito's face for an explanation. Kaito returned his look with a shrug, feeling resigned and more than a little displeased. It was one thing for Akako to mess with him using her magic. But now she was dragging Meitantei into her schemes as well.
He meant to look for her outside of the circle, to warn her off from messing with his the detective, only to feel some kind of strange tugging sensation around his middle. Then he felt it again, more insistently this time. It was about the level of his navel, like a line was drawn through him and trying to pull him forward.
Then Akako came to the end of her chant, shouting the last words. The words reverberated impossibly, holding a weight to them, as if he could catch and hold them. And suddenly that tugging sensation became a yank that dragged him forward on legs that stumbled to keep up.
The same apparently happened to Kudou as well, and they crashed into each other.
Kaito's arms came up instinctively, catching the other and wrapping around the detective's waist. Kudou rested a hand on Kaito's chest, likely to steady himself, and Kaito was abruptly reminded of a fact he'd been determined to ignore all day.
Kudou was wearing nothing but a pair of swim shorts. (A very short pair of shorts, his mind oh so helpfully pointed out.) And no top. And as Kaito was also currently topless, they were chest-to-chest with nothing between them.
They sprang away from each other, both stumbling over words of apology, only to get slammed back together again.
"Kuroba, what are you doing?" Kudou asked, a darkening blush on his face.
"You aren't going to believe me, but for once, I'm not doing anything."
Kudou grumbled something about weird pranks, which Kaito ignored. He rested his hands on Kudou's shoulders and slowly drew back. Kudou blinked up at him, looking perplexed. But he didn't feel any invisible force pulling him forward. So far so good. He removed first one hand from Kudou's shoulder, then the other.
As soon as they were no longer touching, the tugging sensation returned. This time he'd been prepared for it, bracing himself against it, and he managed to hold himself in place.
Kudou evidently had not. His gaze darted down to himself and his eyes widened as he was once again pulled forward. Kaito caught him again, and they both looked at each other, faces reddening in a way that had nothing to do with the summer heat.
Kaito gave him a weak grin, "Throwing yourself at me, detective? How forward~"
Kudou scowled, and Kaito chuckled nervously.
0-0-0-0-0
"So, a witch, huh?" Kudou asked while dragging a hand through his bangs, looking tired.
Kaito hummed in affirmation.
They were seated next to each other on their towels at their base area, neither touching. Even now, sitting this close, Kaito could feel the pull. It was like a rubber band that was being stretched, trying to bring him closer to the detective. He knew Kudou was feeling it as well. Physical touch seemed to be the only thing that made the pull settle. They'd found they could separate, but the further they moved away from each other, the more they felt that magical force trying to bring them together again. They had to actively brace against it when they stopped touching, and even still, they could only get so much distance between them before the pull was too strong and they'd snap back together again.
Kudou sighed and dropped his hand from his hair, and it fell on top of Kaito's. He wasn't sure if the detective had intended for it to happen, or if that was the spell working again. Kaito saw from the corner of his eye some of the tension leave Kudou's shoulders once the tugging sensation stopped.
"So if it's a spell—"
Kaito interrupted, "More like a curse."
Kudou paused and removed his hand. The tugging sensation returned, and Kaito had to resist the urge to snatch the detective's hand back. "Right… but does that mean there's a way to break it?"
Kaito thought about it. Akako had given up on trying to make him her slave long ago, so she probably wasn't doing this as a way to get him to agree to be under her control. She had mellowed out quite a bit over the last year, and seemed to have become a bit of a romantic. He wouldn't be surprised if the answer was 'true love's kiss' or something of that nature.
He looked again at Kudou from the corner of his eye. Should they try it out? If it worked, this would all be over with, and if it didn't, well no harm done, right?
Kudou was sitting with his knees pulled to his chest and his arms wrapped around his legs, gazing sullenly out at the ocean. His posture telegraphed discomfort, and Kaito was willing to bet it was due to more than the return of the pull.
Was it a problem if the detective didn't return his feelings? Kaito frowned, squeezing sand between clenched fists. Better to save that for if he got desperate.
"There probably is some way to break it," he said slowly.
"Well let's eliminate the simplest solution first and just ask her," Kudou suggested. And really, it wasn't a bad idea. Once they'd gotten over the confusion caused by the spell (and catching Kudou up on magic being real), Akako had by that point disappeared, so they hadn't had a chance to talk to her. Kaito could see her now, standing a little further down the beach with Aoko and Suzuki, collecting seashells by the looks of it. Kudou stood up and waved, raising his voice. "Excuse me, Akako-san?"
None of the girls turned, being too far to hear him, and began to walk further down the beach. "Excuse me, Akako-san?" Kudou tried again louder this time, and jogged a few steps after them.
"Wait, Kudou!"
His warning came too late, and he saw Kudou stumble back as if he'd reached the end of a bungee cord. He managed to stay upright a few steps before he fell, Kaito raising his arms and managing to catch him as Kudou fell into his lap.
"S–sorry!" Shinichi stammered, face reddening.
"Don't worry about it," Kaito casually answered as he clutched onto his poker face for dear life.
Kudou was in his lap. Kudou was in his lap. Wearing nothing but a short pair of trunks with those long, long legs slung over Kaito's thigh, and his bare chest rising and falling with his breaths, and that perfect ass that was positioned right over his—
"Shinichi? What are you doing?" Mouri asked and now Kaito knew he was off his game. How had he not noticed her approach? Her and Hakuba, by the looks of it, both staring down at them, Mouri's eyes wide in surprise and Hakuba's narrowed in suspicion.
"Ran!" Kudou said while scrambling to get up, accidentally elbowing Kaito in the stomach in the process. He attempted to stand, only to fall back into Kaito's lap again. His blush darkened and was traveling down his neck and chest. He tried again, only to end up in the same position, blush now reaching his elbows. (A distracted part of Kaito's mind wondered how far it could go.) He must have been too flustered to fight against the spell's pull.
Kaito looped an arm around and rested his hand on Kudou's shoulder. Kudou stilled beneath him. "I think Kudou got a little overheated. I'm going to take him to the water to cool off."
Mouri's brow furrowed in concern. "Oh. Are you feeling alright, Shinichi? Do you want to go home?"
"Your face is rather flushed," Hakuba observed.
"I'll be alright," Kudou reassured them while slowly standing, Kaito following him up as well. Kaito rested a hand on Kudou's forearm, partially to sell the concerned friend act, and partially to stop that insistent tugging sensation.
Just as they began to walk away, Mouri hurried forward and took Shinichi's hand. "Wait, Shinichi. I just want you to know there's nothing to be embarrassed about. I support you to the fullest."
"Ran…" Kudou trailed off, averting his gaze. "It's not…"
Mouri's smile was sweet, and very familiar. Kaito had seen it many times directed at Conan. "Just remember, you deserve to be happy."
Kudou opened and closed his mouth several times, then simply nodded before turning to leave again. Kaito knew the detective and Mouri had briefly tried dating after his return, but had mutually decided they worked better as friends. He also knew Suzuki and Mouri had tried to set Kudou up on a few dates, which hadn't gone anywhere. It was probably eating Kudou up inside to be lying to her when she looked so happy for him.
Kaito released his light hold on Kudou's arm to give them a wave, then followed him. He shoved his hands in his pockets to stave off the urge to touch Kudou again.
"Sorry about… back there," Kudou said while looking down at his feet and rubbing the back of his neck. Kaito couldn't see his face from where he was behind him.
"Don't worry about it," Kaito replied, forcing himself to sound light and casual. "Let's just talk to Akako and see if she can be persuaded to undo this. Then it will be easier for you to convince her there's nothing going on between us."
"Right," Shinichi agreed, shoulders drooping, no doubt still feeling embarrassed from earlier. Again Kaito wanted to take his hand, and this time he knew it had nothing to do with the curse.
They continued in silence.
Akako and the girls were just up ahead. Akako saw them coming, and she said something to the other two who nodded and began to walk ahead. She waited as they approached.
"Kuroba-kun, Kudou-san," she greeted with an incline of her head.
"Akako-san," Kudou returned, then hesitated. Kaito thought he understood, part of him probably still in disbelief that he was about to ask a witch to remove her spell on him.
This time Kaito did reach out and take Kudou's hand. Kudou startled and turned his head to look at him, but made no move to pull away. "We wanted to know if you would remove the curse you placed on us," Kaito said for him.
Akako pursed her lips. "Curse? What a rude way to refer to my gift."
"Akako, please."
She huffed and flipped her hair over her shoulder. "You should be thanking me, you know. When Lucifer said you would fall, I didn't think he meant you were going to sabotage your own future." Kudou blinked at the mention of Lucifer, but otherwise didn't interrupt. "So I decided to intervene to give you a little nudge in the right direction."
"Out of the goodness of your heart, I'm sure," Kaito said in a deadpan.
"Well," Akako began, as if about to admit to some great secret, "Either it will work out in your favor, in which case you'll be indebted to me, or it won't, which will at least be entertaining."
Kaito rolled his eyes. "I thought we were past this, Akako. I'm not your play thing, and Kudou certainly isn't either."
"Hmph." She crossed her arms over her chest. "I can't remove it."
"You can't, or won't?" Kaito pressed, mirroring her stance.
"Can't," she repeated impatiently, her hair whipped around her with invisible power. "And you better enjoy yourselves because you only have until sunset."
Kudou frowned. "What do you mean by—"
"Figure it out, detective. Now leave me be, you entertain me no more."
She raised her hand and Kaito threw himself in front of Kudou protectively. A strong gust of wind blew around them, throwing sand into the air. They both closed their eyes and covered their face with an arm. Almost as soon as it had started, it stopped. Kaito slowly peaked an eye open, then opened both more confidently when it appeared safe.
Akako was gone, her form retreating in the distance to rejoin the girls. They didn't follow her.
0-0-0-0-0
They walked side by side down the shoreline, the ocean waves washing up on their feet. They weren't touching, but every once in a while as they walked, Kudou would unconsciously drift over and bump into Kaito. After the fifth mumbled apology, Kaito reached out and took his hand. He saw Kudou's cheeks pink before he turned his face away, looking out towards the ocean, but he didn't pull away.
"What do you think she meant, when she said we have until sunset?" Kudou asked, still not looking at him.
Kaito frowned. That statement had been bothering him too. He finally sighed and admitted, "If this were the Akako of a couple years ago, I would say if we didn't break the curse by sunset, something really bad would happen."
This made Kudou turn back to him, looking concerned. "How bad, exactly?"
"Well, she did once try to kill me," he answered, before quickly adding at Kudou's alarmed look, "but that was before she mellowed. She's really not so bad anymore. I mean, she's still creepy. But like, not murderous creepy." At least, he was pretty sure she no longer was trying to kill him.
"So we have a witch who previously tried to kill you but now you're friends with—"
"More like acquaintances, really."
"People don't go to the beach with an acquaintance that once tried to murder them, Kuroba," Kudou countered before continuing, "She's cast a spell on the two of us, and said some cryptic message about sunset. It probably means something bad, but not death bad. There has to be some kind of a hint. What else did we learn from that conversation?"
Kaito thought back. Had she given them a clue? They hadn't been talking for long before she lost her temper.
"What did she mean about you sabotaging your future?" Kudou asked with one hand on his chin. "She said she was giving you a nudge in the right direction."
Kaito's brow creased with his frown. That one was easier to understand. She must have been referring to the fight he'd been having with Kudou before she cast the spell. It would be just like her to magically force them together and call it a gift.
If their fight had been the reason she'd cursed them, maybe the way to break it was… to get along?
Another part of him worried this was her twisted way to try to set them up together and that true love's kiss really was the answer.
"Akako has always spoken in riddles that nobody else can understand. Who knows what she meant?" He gave Kudou's hand a squeeze. "Let's stop worrying about it for now. There's still hours until sunset, and I'm about seventy-five percent sure she won't do anything that will leave lasting harm."
Kudou snorted. "That's better odds than I'm usually up against."
Kaito flashed him a grin, "That's the spirit. Besides, we'll figure it out, right?"
Kudou returned the smile, looking more at ease. This time, he was the one to squeeze Kaito's hand. "We always do."
0-0-0-0-0
"Alright," Kudou paused to check the list on his phone, "Sonoko and Ran are going to split a bento."
Kaito bent to look at the selection in the convenience store's cooler. "Did they want anything specific?"
"They didn't specify, but Ran likes the ones with the little sausages."
"Got it," Kaito said grabbing a container and putting it in his basket.
"And Hakuba asked for cold soba," the detective said while reaching into the cooler as well. He was so close, his arm brushed against Kaito's as he plucked the noodles from the shelf. Kaito couldn't help but lean into the touch. While they could separate, it was tiresome to constantly fight against the spell that was trying to pull them together.
Kudou must have also felt a bit drained because he lingered next to Kaito much longer than necessary.
"Hey, so…" Kaito trailed off, feeling awkward. He saw Kudou look at him from the corner of his eye, and suddenly became very interested in the food in the cooler. "Sorry for getting you mixed up in all of this."
"It's not your fault," Kudou answered while stepping away. Kaito resisted the urge to reach for him. He walked a little further down, grabbing a fruit sando that Akako had requested. "I'm sorry you got stuck with me of all people," he said with a laugh, the sound a little too high to be believable.
Kaito frowned, taking a step towards the other. Kudou however took another step further away, keeping the distance between them. "What do you mean?"
Kudou squinted at him, searching his face. "Are you really going to make me say it? You obviously are less than thrilled that's it's me that you are cursed to be with. Not that I blame you, after earlier."
Kaito winced, regretting what he'd said before. He'd been upset, but he hadn't meant to make the detective think he hated him. "Kudou—"
Kudou interrupted, his smile strained. "No, it's okay. I was an ass earlier. I brought heist stuff into your civilian life when you're obviously keeping them separate. I was just… I saw an opportunity to get to know you outside of a heist, and I wasn't thinking. But you want our relationship to stay thief and detective, and—"
And Kaito had heard enough. He closed the distance between them, taking Kudou's hand in his own. "There's been a misunderstanding."
Kudou blinked up at him. "A misunderstanding?"
Kaito closed his eyes and took a breath before letting it out slow. If he wanted to do this conversation properly, he was going to have to admit he was KID. Was that something he was prepared to do?
Kudou watched him, his eyes a little wide and looking hopeful, and Kaito knew he had no choice. He couldn't disappoint Kudou when he was making that face.
"I don't hate you, Meitantei." Even though they were holding hands, he still felt that pull, that desire to be closer to the other. "You are, and always will be, my favorite detective. And I was excited to meet you outside of a heist as well. But I thought if you figured out who I was, you might try to turn me in."
Kudou blinked up at him in surprise. "Turn you in? Why would I do that when I haven't seriously chased you in months? I have even lead the task force away from you more than once!"
Shit, so he had been leading the task for astray. "The soccer balls?" he asked weakly.
Kudou huffed. "I'm still going to challenge you. It doesn't mean I'm trying to put you behind bars."
His pout was so cute and his tone so indignant, Kaito couldn't help but laugh. He suddenly felt lighter than he had all day. "All grown up but still a brat I see," he teased, "Do you really have to kick lethal weapons at me?"
Kudou was trying not to smile, and absolutely failing. "Oh, you want me to go easy on you? Can't handle the challenge from the all grown up Kudou Shinichi? Are you admitting that I can probably best you?"
Kaito's grin sharpened. "Not a chance." He gave Kudou's hand a tug, pulling the detective just a little closer. "Come on, our friends probably think we got lost. Let's get the rest of the stuff on our list, then we can start over and properly enjoying our beach trip."
And maybe, Kaito was starting to agree with Akako calling the spell a gift.
0-0-0-0-0
Kaito was on the ground laughing so hard his sides were beginning to hurt. Kudou was half sprawled across him in a similar state, Kaito able to feel his body shaking with his own giggles.
Suzuki approached them with her hands on his hips. "If you two could stop falling over each other, we might have actually stood a chance! When did you become so clumsy, Kudou-kun?"
Kudou tried to sit up, just to fall back on Kaito again. He likely wouldn't be able to resist the spell's pull anytime soon, not until he'd gotten his laughter under control. Not that Kaito really minded.
"Sorry, Sonoko," Kudou told her, face still flushed with laughter.
Suzuki fixed him with a glare, but she didn't hold it long before it weakened. "Oh, it's fine. I guess its just a silly game of beach volleyball."
Aoko joined them from the back of their side of the court. "Even though we didn't win, Aoko still had fun! What about Kaito?"
"Well I hate losing to that bastard, Hakuba…" Kaito made sure Hakuba heard him, causing the blonde to roll his eyes.
"Kaito is being a jerk," she said disapprovingly, "Aoko knows Kaito had fun too. Aoko could tell."
Kaito stuck his tongue out at her.
Kudou finally stood. He offered a hand to help Kaito up, and Kaito's hand magnetically reached for him. He stood carefully, being sure not to pull Kudou back down on top of him again. He reluctantly dropped Kudou's hand.
"That was some game though!" Mouri said while wiping her brow, "I need to cool off after that sweat I worked up. Who wants to go for a swim? Shinichi? You haven't gotten in the water at all today."
Kaito stiffened, than forced himself to relax, carefully holding his hands loose at his sides.
"That's alright, I think I'll rest under the umbrella instead. Want to join me, Kuroba?" Kudou asked breezily.
It hadn't been the response he'd been expecting, but Kaito was a professional at adjusting on the fly. "Sure, I think I might take a little nap."
Back at their resting spot, they settled together on their beach towels, sitting close enough that their knees were touching.
"You didn't want to go in the water?" Kaito asked, feeling curious.
"If I did, you would have either had to come with me, or risk getting dragged out. I didn't want to do that too you," Kudou answered with a shrug.
Kuroba turned in surprise. "Did you figure out my fish phobia?"
Kudou shook his head. "Not fish, no. I just knew you didn't want to go in the ocean for some reason. We're at the beach, but you haven't gotten in the water higher than your ankles even once. And everyone else brought two towels, one to sit on and one to dry off with. You only brought one, because you never planned to need a second towel."
"Of course you would notice something like that," Kaito said, with a chuckle.
"So," Kudou began, now sounding uncertain, "are you and Nakamori-san…"
"No," Kaito answered quickly, "no, we aren't like that. When I was younger, I thought I was in love with her. And maybe at one time I was? But she's more like a sister now, especially after Nakamori-keibu became like a father figure to me."
"Do they know?"
Kaito shook his head. "Hakuba suspects, of course I won't admit it. Akako knows, though I still deny it. My mom knows, and my assistant of course. But otherwise nobody else. Except you."
Kudou turned to him before looking back at the sea in contemplation. "You could have kept denying it. You didn't have to admit it to me."
"I didn't," Kaito agreed, then admitted, "But, I'm glad I did."
Kudou turned and gave him such a soft smile; it made Kaito's breath catch. And even though their knees were touching, satisfying the spell, he had a desire to be closer that was all his own. He found himself leaning towards the other. To his delight, Kudou did as well.
Their lips met in a shy brush. When neither of them pulled away, Kaito cupped Kudou's cheek. The other leaned into the touch, and now the angle was better, allowing Kaito to deepen the kiss. Kudou made a small noise that Kaito eagerly swallowed.
As much as Kaito would have liked to draw more noises out of him, he was painfully aware that they were still at a public beach. He reluctantly drew away.
Kudou slowly opened his eyes, blinking up at him with a faint blush on his cheeks, lips slightly parted.
And Kaito was just a man.
He captured those lips in another hungry kiss. Kudou gave himself over to him, leaning in and kissing back with a fervor that matched Kaito's.
He placed a hand on Kaito's chest, only to leap back like a startled cat when he came into contact with bare skin. His face was on fire. "Sorry!"
Kaito opened his mouth to tease him, but he paused. Kudou had moved far enough away that they were no longer touching.
And the tugging sensation had returned.
"But you kissed me back…" Kaito said, voice low and confused. "No, you did! You enjoyed kissing me!"
"Was that ever in question?" Kudou asked, looking just as confused and a little hurt. He shifted himself so he was facing Kaito directly while also putting more distance between them. "Was I bad at it or something?"
"No, of course not! What I meant was… Do you like me?" Kaito asked, unnecessarily pointing at himself.
Kudou crossed his arms over his chest. "Do you think I kiss people I don't like?"
"No, but do you like me?" Kaito emphasized.
"Of course I do!" Kudou shouted back in exasperation. "I've probably liked you since Singapore! Now what is this about?"
Kaito's confusion was monetarily replaced by relief and elation. But that tugging sensation brought him back to reality. "Then… I guess the spell isn't broken by true love's kiss?"
Kudou blinked, then began to laugh. "Oh, is that what this is about? True love's kiss? I mean, I know a witch did cast a spell on us, but you know this isn't actually a fairy tale, right?"
Kaito's head dropped below his shoulders in a sulk. "I mean, it was plausible."
Kudou's laughter subsided into giggles. He scooted closer, angling himself so they were sitting side by side again. His hand came to rest on top of Kaito's. "Well sorry to tell you, but I do like you, and I don't think this is over yet. Looks like you're stuck with me until sunset."
Kaito's pout subsided, and he gave a smile that was maybe just a bit sappy, but he didn't care. "I wouldn't want to be stuck with anyone else, Kudou."
"You should call me Shinichi," he said, his voice just as warm as his smile.
"Then call me Kaito."
0-0-0-0-0
Summer days were long, but eventually the day began to grow late and sunset began to approach.
"I'm going to return the umbrella to the rental place, then I should head home and check on dad," Mouri told the group.
Aoko stepped forward and pulled the other girl into a hug, which Mouri immediately reciprocated. "It was so much fun spending time with you and meeting your friends!"
"I had a wonderful time as well, thank you for inviting me," Hakuba said with a pleasant smile, "I should be heading back as well."
"Nakamori-san, I shall accompany you to the station," Akako offered, and Aoko nodded.
"Ready to go?" Mouri asked, turning to Shinichi.
"Actually, I think Kaito and I are going to stay a little longer," the detective replied.
"'Kaito', huh?" Suzuki said with a Cheshire grin. "You both seemed to cozy up to each other fast. I can't believe you were complaining about wanting to stay home and work on some cold cases only to end up making out with your new boyfriend on the beach."
"Y-you saw us?" Shinichi stammered. "And we weren't making out, it was just a couple of kisses!"
"Hmm, pretty sure I saw tongue," she teased, clearly enjoying herself.
"You absolutely did not! You would have been too far away to see such a thing."
"Oh, so then there was tongue?" she asked, looking smug.
"No! I meant if there had been, you wouldn't have been able to—"
Kaito came up behind him and put his hands on both of Shinichi's shoulders. "Shinichi, she's teasing you," he said with a chuckle.
"Let's take our leave," Hakuba said while checking the time on his phone, "If we miss this incoming train, the next one to Ekoda isn't for another half hour. Kuroba, I'll take the cooler back for you."
Kaito nodded.
They went back to their rest area together. The girls put on shorts and swim covers over their bikinis, and Hakuba pulled on a shirt. They cleaned up, then everyone gave one final wave, then began to leave.
"Wait, Akako," Kaito called. Akako paused and looked back at him over her shoulder. "What happens at sunset?"
She gave him a dull look.
"I have already given the answer to that question." She didn't wait for him to answer and continued to leave. Kaito didn't stop her again.
The crowds had been thinning out for a few hours now, most people having left around dinner time, leaving Kaito and Shinichi mostly alone. Kaito reached for Shinichi's hand, the action already feeling completely natural. Even once the spell was gone, he didn't think he'd ever grow tired of holding Shinichi's hand. With an unspoken agreement, they began to walk down the beach.
"I meant what I said earlier," Kaito said, breaking the silence, "I'm glad if I was going to be stuck with anyone in a spell like this, it was you."
"Me too," Shinichi agreed his eyes soft. He turned and followed the horizon. "Look, it's almost sunset."
"I guess we will see what happens soon," Kaito said, still with a little unease, "But don't worry. If something happens, I'll make sure Akako fixes it."
"You know, I don't think we need to be concerned at all," Shinichi said thoughtfully. "I've been thinking over what Akako said. What if sunset wasn't how much time we had to break the curse, but just a time limit for how long the spell would last?"
Kaito frowned, replaying Akako's words in his head. But hadn't she said… ? No way. Kaito put his face in his hand. "Why didn't she just say that?"
Shinichi gave his hand a squeeze. "I guess she wanted us to figure it out ourselves."
"That witch," Kaito grumbled, "She was totally pranking us."
"Kaito, look. It's starting," Shinichi said, giving his hand a tug to get his attention.
They watched together as the sun dipped below the horizon, painting both the sky and the ocean in a vibrant display of color. Kaito shuffled a little closer, and Shinichi did as well, leaning into his side. And then it was over.
Neither of them moved for a moment, both listening to the sound of the waves washing up on the shore. If Shinichi was right, then the spell should be gone now. If he was wrong, then they would have to figure something out. Kaito couldn't exactly perform heists like this, and Shinichi would probably have a harder time solving cases if the spell was distracting him. But Kaito found he wasn't worried. Even if the spell was still there, he knew they would figure it out.
"So," Shinichi said eventually, "Shall we test it?"
Kaito dropped his hand and stepped away. He waited, his side that had been warmed by Shinichi's proximity growing cool, but otherwise didn't feel that tugging sensation. "Nothing. You?"
Shinichi shook his head.
Kaito let out a breath of relief, though he couldn't help feeling the smallest twinge of disappointment. He would miss that tug, even if it was more on the annoying side. It had helped him out of his own head, as well as bringing him and Shinichi together.
...damn, did this mean he owed Akako? This totally meant he owed Akako. The mere thought brought a shiver to his spine.
Shinichi laced their fingers together, tugging Kaito from his thoughts with a soft laugh. "Stop thinking so much. Let's go home."
Warmth burst in Kaito's chest.
"Let's."
