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"Hey, Tantei-kun, do you know how many times I've saved your life or one of your little buddies' lives since we've met? I can think of more than half a dozen without even trying. Don't you think it's about time you did something for me?"
Shinichi blinked at the thief perched on the roof railing; a shadow against the round, white moon. That was not what Shinichi had been expecting to hear from KID on the first heist he'd been able to attend as his teenage self after two years of attending as a grade school student. The man's white cape flapped in the wind, giving its owner that extra dramatic flare that he was so famous for. There was no surprise to be detected on that shadow-enshrouded face at the fact that Shinichi had shown up as himself rather than Conan. Not, the detective supposed, that he would have expected KID to let any surprise slip past his Poker Face even if he felt it. Even so, he'd been expecting at least some kind of…acknowledgment? Maybe even a little congratulations, if the thief was feeling charitable. Shinichi wasn't sure why, but he found himself feeling a bit…disappointed.
"Hello?" KID waved a hand theatrically. "Earth to Tantei-kun, is there anyone at home? It feels like I'm talking to myself here."
"I heard, I heard," Shinichi said quickly, stopped, then lowered his head. "I…do appreciate all the help you've given me. Thank you."
"Tsk, tsk, Tantei-kun, gratitude is all well and good, but wouldn't you say that one good turn deserves another?"
"I…guess so," Shinichi conceded hesitantly. What was the thief getting at? Should Shinichi be worried? It was KID after all. The magician thief's irrefutable genius was matched, after all, only by his insanity (there was only so sane someone who enjoyed jumping off skyscrapers could be). But when he stopped and thought about it, he did owe the thief at least a few favors by now. So he braced himself and asked, "So…what did you want?"
"Well~, some chocolate would be a nice start."
"…Chocolate?"
"Yep. You know, the sweet, brown things that melt in the heat. They usually come in boxes and might have nuts or creamy filling inside—I like the pure ones best, by the by. They have caffeine in them too, like that precious coffee of yours. The—"
"I know what chocolate is, KID," Shinichi interjected, flushing in mixed embarrassment and exasperation. "Is this some kind of joke?"
"Joke?" The thief tilted his head slightly to one side, causing his monocle to flash silver. "Whatever do you mean?"
Shinichi sighed. "I mean were you serious just now when you said that the favor you want is for me to get you some chocolate."
"Of course I was. Why wouldn't I be?"
"But…it's just chocolate," Shinichi felt obliged to point out. "I thought—with the kind of stuff you've helped me with, maybe you wanted me to help you with your…" He paused, took a deep breath, then finished, "Your search." Because KID had given him more than a handful of hints that he was searching for a particular jewel. He didn't know what exactly KID was hoping to find, but he knew by now that whatever it was had to be very important to the thief. And the thought had circled round and round inside Shinichi's head, and he'd found himself wondering on some silent, moonless nights if he should offer the thief his help.
Something in Kaitou KID's expression changed when he heard Shinichi's timid offer, but then that shark's grin was back. "There is a time and a place, Tantei-kun. I think chocolate is the way to begin. You can bring it to my next heist. It'll be in six days. I'll send you a notice. Now, ciao!"
With that, the thief flipped backwards off his perch and disappeared beneath the roofline. Unable to resist, Shinichi ran to the railing and scanned the glittering streets below until he found that familiar, white triangle of KID's signature glider.
Slipping out of the museum while the KID Task Force were still scouring it for clues, Shinichi made his way home in a contemplative silence. Around him, KID fans dispersed and headed home or gathered into groups to discuss their hero and head out for just a little more adventure before retiring to their homes.
A warm, glowing window and a waft of cool, fragrant air caught his attention, and Shinichi found himself looking up at a candy shop. He dithered on the sidewalk outside, wondering why he wasn't just walking away and heading home. Finally he surrendered and pushed open the shop's glass door. The hour being rather late, it was almost completely devoid of customers, but that only made it easier to see the majesty of the place. Glittering display cases showed off trays upon trays of colorful, elegant little confectionary masterpieces. The tantalizing aroma of chocolate tingled at his senses. Everywhere he looked, there was something chocolate. There were dark chocolates and white chocolates, milk and caramel. From mint chocolate chips to sea salt caramel squares, there was just about every chocolate treat a single person could dream of and maybe even some they couldn't.
Standing in the center of it all, Shinichi turned around in a slow circle, feeling like someone who had just stepped into another world. Now that he was here, he had no idea where to start.
"Can I help you?"
He jumped and turned around to find a short girl with cinnamon curls watching him with a plastic tray in her hands. It looked like the kind of tray he used at bakeries where you could place your choice breads as you perused the available stock.
"I…I'm looking for some chocolate," he replied, still a bit dazed. "I didn't realize there were so many…"
The girl laughed. "It takes a lot of people that way. Here, I can help you arrange your own box if you'd like."
"Could you?" Relief flooded through the young detective. "Thank you."
"So what kind of chocolate do you like?"
"I'm not really a huge fan of sweets."
"Oh. So is this for someone else then?"
"Yeah."
"Someone special?"
He blushed. "It—it's not, I mean. It's supposed to be a thank you gift."
"Ah." The girl looked enlightened. "So what does this person you want to thank like in their chocolate?"
"I…I'm not really sure. I think he might prefer the kind that's chocolate all the way through."
"Ah, I see. Then you want to look over on this side of the store." The girl led the way through the maze of chocolate treats. Shinichi found himself staring into each display they passed, marveling at the sheer amount of candy. Just looking at it all was making his teeth ache.
"So what's this guy like?"
Pulling his attention back to his helpful guide, Shinichi blinked. "Guy?"
"The one you're thanking," she clarified, hiding a smile behind an upraised hand. "If you tell me more about him, it might help me pick out the most suitable pieces."
"Would that really help?"
"It might. Like there was this girl in here this morning putting together a box for her boyfriend. She told me he liked sour flavors and that he's big on sports of all kinds. We filled his box with our very popular sports balls series, heavy on the baseballs with the lemon filling and the dark chocolate footballs with orange cream filling. Oh, and of course we can't forget the lime tennis balls. It was a pretty cool collection. I wouldn't have minded getting one myself. But I'm getting side tracked, aren't I? The thing is, a little extra knowledge can help us make this gift box of yours a truly amazing and personal one."
"…Right. Well, he's…kind of weird. He likes magic and shiny things."
"So what does he like to do? Does he play any sports?"
"He goes skydiving every chance he gets. Other than that, it's hard to say. He's athletic and a good actor. I'm not sure what he actually does for fun though—except maybe drive people crazy. Well, that and the magic."
"Your friend sounds like an interesting person."
Shinichi laughed. "That's an understatement."
"So what do you want to thank him for?"
"Well, I…don't generally have the best of luck," he explained. That was the understatement of the century. "I tend to run into a lot of trouble everywhere I go. Sometimes, it can get a bit dangerous. If it weren't for K—weren't for him, I probably wouldn't still be here."
"Wow, that sounds really serious." The girl paused in her search through the shelves to give Shinichi a careful look over from head to toe then back. "Well, I don't know what kind of trouble you mean, but my intuition says you're a good person, so I'll assume you're being vague for other reasons."
Shinichi flushed. "I didn't mean to—"
"No, no, there are lots of private things that are unsuitable for telling total strangers. Anyhow, whatever is really going on, I'd say you have a really nice friend there."
The detective grimaced. "That depends on what you call nice. You can't believe half the things that come out of his mouth, and I never know what he's thinking."
"But he's your friend, isn't he?"
"I guess… I don't really know." He sighed. "I mean, we disagree on a lot of things. I…kind of get in his way a lot, and he's always calling me a critic. He probably helps me because he thinks it's the right thing to do. He'd do the same for anyone else."
"What about you?" the girl asked curiously. To her ears, her guest sounded a little depressed about the whole thing.
Shinichi shrugged, starting to feel a bit uncomfortable. "I guess…I'm just grateful that he's there."
"But you want him to know that you see him as someone important, right?" A teasing note crept into the girl's voice.
He blushed. "It isn't really… I mean, I just want to thank him."
"Are you sure?" She gave him a gentle, encouraging look. "It's okay to be shy, but it's hard to make friends if you don't let people know you're open to the idea."
"I wasn't really thinking that far ahead," he admitted, scratching the back of his head. "It would be…nice, I guess, if we could be friends, but I don't know if that's really possible for us."
"Nonsense! There's no such thing as people who can't be friends."
"It's not that exactly. It's just we're…you know, very different…"
"Everyone is. Besides, if he didn't like you, he wouldn't have come to your rescue. If you want to get past the acquaintance stage, you have to believe you can. And you can start by getting something to show him how you feel. So here!" Stepping back, she swept her arms out to present the next chocolate display. "Choose the ones that you think best represent what you want to say to him. We guarantee the taste, but the rest is up to you."
Shinichi took in the trays upon trays of little chocolates, feeling at a loss. "There're so many. I'm not sure where to begin. Do you have any recommendations?"
"They're all good, but I'd definitely pick some of these, and…"
Fifteen minutes later, Shinichi found himself holding a box of assorted chocolates, feeling like he'd learned more about different types of chocolate in the last quarter hour than he'd realized there was to know. Bemused, he trailed after his guide back to the shop counter.
"Now for the ribbon!" she announced, pointing to a row of ribbon rolls on the counter. "You can pick any of them."
"Is that really necessary?"
"All our boxes come with ribbons. Besides, you want it to look special, right? Not that it wouldn't be special anyway," she added as an afterthought. "Any gift from the heart is special. But if it can look great too, there's no point in not taking the opportunity. So which one do you like?"
"Oh. I guess I like the blue one."
"Right, the blue one." She wrapped the ribbon around the box and tied it off, her hands quick and sure in their motions. Giving the ends a last tug, she picked up a small card and a pen. "So what's his name?"
"Oh, uh, no, that's okay, I wasn't going to include a card."
"But why not?"
"It isn't really necessary."
"Are you sure?"
"I'm sure," he said firmly. He could only imagine the kind of fuss it could cause if he mentioned the gift was for Kaitou KID. The man was practically a celebrity despite being a thief.
"Well, okay then." The girl pulled a bag with the shop's logo on it out from under the counter and slipped the box inside. It was a perfect fit. She handed him the bag with a warm smile. "Good luck, and come again!"
Shinichi thanked her and took the bag. Resuming his homeward trek, he wondered why the girl had wished him luck. Maybe it was because he'd mentioned that tidbit about running into a lot of trouble.
X
The bag sat innocently in the middle of his kitchen table. It seemed to be looking at him. There was something smug about it, he decided. It was definitely a smug bag. If it had a face, it would be smirking. It would be a sharp, shark's smirk—probably beneath a monocle.
Draining the last of his morning mug of coffee, he gave the bag a last long look like it was a sleeping rattlesnake he didn't want to wake before putting the empty mug in the sink and heading for his backpack.
What was he thinking anyway? It was just a bag of chocolate. It wasn't alive, and it definitely wasn't worth being creeped out about, even if it had been asked for by KID.
Still contemplating the eerie presence of the bag in his kitchen, Shinichi almost walked right into Ran, who was waiting with Sonoko by his front gate. The three of them had taken to walking to school together since his return like they used to. It still felt a little strange sometimes. He often found himself feeling like they should be dropping him off at the elementary school, but then he'd remember that he was going to high school now.
"You should watch where you're going," Sonoko remarked, shaking her head at him. "Honestly, you get spacier by the day. Maybe you should find yourself a shrink."
He shot her an annoyed look but decided against retorting. He had learned that doing so only egged her on. She had been angry at him ever since finding out that he and Ran weren't going to be going out together after all. Why this angered her, he really didn't know. After all, they hadn't ever actually been together, and neither of them saw each other that way anymore. They had spent two years being siblings, and it worked for them, so it wasn't any of her business, was it? It wasn't like Ran was upset. But Sonoko seemed to think that Shinichi had wronged her best friend—or maybe she thought his lack of interest in dating Ran was some kind of insult to the girl. Whatever it was, she was still taking every opportunity to needle him. It was cooling off though. He had high hopes that she would be back to her normal, more friendly condescension one day soon.
When Shinichi failed to react to her comment, Sonoko huffed and started walking, opting to start a conversation with Ran instead. The topic of the day, unsurprisingly, was her boyfriend. Shinichi trailed after the two girls, only half listening to them as he worked on not thinking about the bag.
"I still can't decide what I should get him this year," Sonoko was saying.
"I thought you said you wanted to make your own chocolate again."
'I know, but then I thought about it and, well, I want to do something different this time. Something that's going to really stand out, you know? I mean, if I give him the same thing every year, it might get boring."
"I don't think so," the taller girl said. "I don't think Makoto-kun's that kind of person. I'm sure he'd be happy no matter what you give him."
"But that's not the point! It wouldn't be romantic if it was the same. Don't you get it?"
Ran laughed a little nervously at the ferocity of her friend's declaration. "I guess so."
Shinichi tuned the rest of the conversation out. Instead, he spent the rest of their walk to school mentally quizzing himself on the material for their upcoming history test. He barely registered the fact that they had already reached the school gates. But then Ran was tapping his shoulder, and he realized with some surprise that they were already outside their classroom and Sonoko was nowhere in sight.
"Are you feeling all right?" she asked.
He blinked back at her in some confusion. "What do you mean?"
"You've been out of it all morning," she replied, frowning. "Is something bothering you?"
The image of a certain bag flashed through Shinichi's mind and he blushed. "N—no, nothing's bothering me. I was just…thinking about a case," he stammered, fighting the urge to fidget. It wasn't a lie even if it wasn't exacly the truth.
"Well, if you're sure…" Ran didn't look like she believed him, but she didn't press the matter.
The school day crept by like an extra sluggish snail. All the girls in class seemed to be above averagely excited, he noted absently. He saw a lot of them comparing notes between classes, discussing some of the more famous candy stores around town and their new releases. It sounded like some stores had come out with an assortment of new items meant to symbolize one thing or another for some special occasion. He wasn't really paying that much attention. He'd never quite understood the hype people got into over sweets. Though if the furtive glances some of the male students were casting the speakers were anything to go by, it seemed the girls weren't the only ones interested in the new candy products. Instead of excited, however, most of the boys looked…hopeful? That was strange.
"I think chocolate is the way to begin. You can bring it to my next heist."
Shinichi groaned, dropping his head to his desk. Why couldn't the topic of the day be something other than candy? It was making it that much more difficult for him to forget about that conversation and the bag living on his kitchen table.
And what did KID mean by the way to begin anyway? Begin what? Was this some kind of test?
He was starting to feel like a hamster running on a wheel.
X
On the day of the heist, Shinichi brought the chocolate gift box with him to Professor Agasa's house. The professor had invited him over to have lunch with him and Ai, and Shinichi had planned to go straight from there to the heist that evening. Ran had been giving him cooking lessons, so he'd brought a couple of the dishes he'd learned to make to share. Ai helped him set the food out on the table before glancing at the bag of chocolates.
"I didn't realize you'd developed a sweet tooth," she said.
"It's not for me. It's for KID," he grumbled.
"Oh?" Ai smirked. "So you're finally admitting you're in love with that thief then."
Shinichi froze and gaped at her, face immediately flushing bright red. "What?! No! What are you talking about? That's ridiculous!"
All he got in response was an amused look. "And yet you're bringing him chocolate on Valentine's."
"It's a thank you gi—wait, what?"
"Don't you ever look at your calendar?"
"I do," he protested. It wasn't that he didn't check the date now and then—okay, the length of time between the now and the then was often quite long, but that wasn't the point. It was just that he'd been so preoccupied with trying to figure out what KID was up to with his odd request to really register what was going on in the rest of the general population. Though he did remember wondering vaguely why he'd been seeing so much pink everywhere.
Blue eyes widened. That was why all the girls had been discussing candy all week! They had been trying to decide what to give their boyfriends or crushes. That also explained the nervous anticipation in their male counterparts. Suddenly Sonoko's recent spate of griping over romantic gifts made sense too. How could he have missed it?
He stared at the box of chocolates with whole new eyes. Did KID realize what day it would be when he'd appointed the time? Well, it was KID, of course he'd known. This was probably his idea of a joke.
Shinichi groaned and flopped onto the couch. Ai watched him lie there for a while before going to put the last dishes out on the kitchen table. Then she came back to observe the lump on the couch. It hadn't moved at all.
"Well?" she prompted, amusement clear in her voice. "Are you still going to the heist?"
"I already said I'd be there…"
"With the chocolate?"
"…Yeah…"
"You could always change your mind."
"I know. It's just…" The detective sat up slowly, head bowed and bangs covering his eyes if not the pink hue in his cheeks. "I don't know what to do."
"Do you want to go to the heist?"
"I—yes, I do. It was a thank you gift. And I think it's important that I give it to him."
"To show him how you feel."
"Yeah. He's been a lot of help these past few years. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't be here."
"And you're always happier when you're talking about him."
"I—wait, what?"
"You're so obvious," the little scientist sighed, giving him a look like she was disappointed in his stupidity. "You like this guy. You always pay more attention when he gets brought up. You spend ages working on his riddles and thinking of where you should put yourself in order to be able to talk to him. You're depressed when you can't make it to one of his heists, and you blush when you're thinking about him."
"I don't do that," he objected vehemently to that last observation. The crimson hue deepening in his cheeks as he said it, however, belied his words.
Ai just smirked. "It isn't a bad thing, you know. You have to start dating sometime."
"No one has to start dating," he spluttered. "And he's a criminal! And…and…"
"If you're scared, you can always bring the chocolate to the next heist and skip this one or say you forgot," the little scientist said.
Shinichi bit his lip. "But I…"
"You'd be wasting a golden opportunity to clear things up for yourself though," Ai continued, ignoring the detective's mumbling. "Who knows when you'll get another one like it?"
Shinichi wilted slightly, blue eyes unfocused in thought. Ai watched him a moment longer before heading back to the kitchen to get the cutlery. It never ceased to amaze her how the boy could be both so perceptive and so dense at the same time. Although maybe that said more about the power of denial than anything else. Human beings were strange that way.
X
Even as he walked into the hotel where the heist was to be held, Shinichi had his doubts about if he really wanted to be here. He could still turn around, and part of him wanted to, but his feet continued to carry him forward. Not wanting to have to explain why he had brought a box of chocolate to the heist on Valentine's of all days, he kept back as the police rushed about preparing for the thief's imminent arrival. When it started, Shinichi was glad he'd decided to sit out of the main festivities. Two seemed to be the number of the day. Two by two, the task force officers were being popped into colorful, matched costumes and set waltzing unwillingly across the ballroom floor like marionettes. Just like marionettes, actually, their actions directed by tripwires and ropes. Shinichi had to duck his head to hide the laugh struggling to escape at the sight of Nakamori-keibu and Hakuba cavorting through the confusion with tiny wings glued to the backs of their shirts and diapers on over their pants. The inspector's bellows of outrage could be heard all the way in the streets outside. Then the lights dimmed and spotlights came on.
Deciding to forgo watching the rest of the show, Shinichi headed to the elevator. He glanced down at the bag in his hands as the elevator began to rise. His throat felt dry and his heart was pounding in his chest. He found himself wondering if he picked the right chocolate. He shook the thought away hurriedly. It was a thank you gift, he reminded himself sternly.
Which he was giving to KID on Valentine's Day…
Groaning, he let his head fall back to thump against the elevator wall.
He just wanted this night to end. Then maybe everything would go back to normal and the world would make sense again.
The roof was deserted when he stepped out beneath the night sky. He was glad for that. Maybe he would have some time to clear his head. There was a light wind blowing. It was crisp but not too cold. He drew in a deep breath then let it out slowly, trying to imagine the tension in his body flowing out with his breath. The city stretched away in every direction, glittering like a reflection of the sky above. The beauty of the sight managed what none of his thinking had and set Shinichi's frazzled nerves at peace.
Or they did until he heard the familiar flutter of heavy fabric behind him. Then the nervousness came crashing back.
"Tantei-kun, I must admit, I didn't think you'd come."
"I almost didn't," the detective grumbled, turning towards the newcomer. He hadn't heard the roof access door open, but he hadn't expected to, seeing as it was KID. He hesitated a moment, eyes flickering this way and that—anywhere to avoid the thief in front of him. Then he gave up and held out the bag that had been dangling at his side all evening.
The thief took in the way Shinichi was still staring determinedly at the ground, face flushed pink. Then he took the proffered bag and peered inside. Shinichi listened to the sounds of what he assumed was the thief investigating the chocolate gift box.
"Happy now?" he huffed, crossing his arms and turning completely away in the hopes of hiding the blush that just wouldn't go away.
"Not entirely."
"Well go choose your own chocolate then," the detective snapped, stung by the thief's comment but refusing to let it get to him. It was easier said than done though. He really had thought hard about which chocolates to pick from the ones the girl at the shop had recommended. In fact, he was rather proud that he'd found that pair of round, white dove-shaped ones and the brown top hats with the white chocolate ribbons. It wasn't his fault if KID didn't appreciate his choices. "If you wanted something specific, you should have said so."
KID had the audacity to laugh. "I'm not referring to the chocolate, Tantei-kun. What I meant was that there's one more thing I'd like from you today."
Shinichi frowned. One more thing? But KID had only mentioned chocolate the other day, right? He couldn't remember the thief mentioning anything else. Had there been some kind of riddle hidden in his words? It would be just like him to do that and not bother telling Shinichi about it until now.
"—Tantei-kun? Shinichi."
Startled from his thoughts by the unfamiliar sound of KID saying his real name, the detective turned around. His breath caught in his throat as heat crept up his face. KID was way too close for comfort, forcing Shinichi to look up to meet his eyes. He backpedaled hurriedly—or tried to anyway. His attempt at flight was thwarted by a strong arm hooking itself around his waist. Blue eyes grew wider and wider as the owner of the arm leaned in closer and closer.
"KID—" he squeaked, but the rest of his exclamation was muffled by a pair of warm lips descending on his.
Time slowed.
KID took advantage of the detective's surprise to deepen the kiss. The arm around Shinichi tightened, drawing him flush up against the thief's chest as a gloved hand rose to the back of his neck to keep him there. His own hands curled into the fabric of KID's white suit as though hanging onto a lifeline. It was like fire and moonlight, washing the world away until all that was left was a sky full of stars and a rush of elation tinged with a gentle sense of contentment that ought to have contradicted each other yet somehow did not.
Shinichi almost whimpered in disappointment when KID pulled away. Blue eyes blinked open (when had he closed them?) to find the thief watching him intently. He didn't speak. Shinichi waited, not really sure what to expect but at a loss as to what he was supposed to do. He still couldn't quite believe what had just happened to him.
"What?" he blurted finally, unable to stand the silence (or the staring) any longer.
"I was waiting to see if you were going to try and kick me."
"Well I'm not." He crossed his arms. It wasn't much of a defense, but the gesture made him feel better. "Or is there some reason I should?"
"Now, now, no need to be so touchy." The thief was grinning now. "So you do like me."
"What? I—I never said that."
"But you just admitted that you didn't mind when I kissed you just now."
"What? I didn't—I just—that doesn't mean—"
"I can kiss you again if you want to double check," KID suggested, leaning in once more. Indigo eyes were twinkling with mirth and something else that made Shinichi's stomach flip over. The detective swallowed nervously. He was rather partial to the idea of running away, but the thief's arms were still wrapped around his middle, and there was another part of him that wanted to stay right where it was. He compromised by raising his hands like he could somehow ward off any impending contact.
"Why are you doing this?" The question came out sounding much more panicked than he would have liked, but at least he managed to say something.
Indigo eyes stared at him for a moment before the thief let out a short laugh. "Oh Tantei-kun, isn't it obvious? I like you. And I'd say the fact that you're here now and not trying to kick me proves that you like me too. It can't be that hard to understand, can it? I mean, it's gotta be simpler than figuring out how some bastard used a toothbrush and a spool of thread to murder his ex girlfriend."
"So, you really…me…? You li—like…"
Taking pity on the flustered detective (well, maybe there was a selfish motive in it too), the thief cut him off with another kiss. When he drew back, he was grinning again.
"Does that answer your question?"
Shinichi nodded mutely, still blushing.
"Good. Now it's your turn to answer my question. Will you go out with me?"
The detective took a deep breath. He'd done a lot of thinking since his conversation with Ai that morning. He hadn't found much in the way of answers, but he had come to at least one conclusion. KID was an important person to him. He didn't know if he was ready for something as complex and confusing as romance, but he wasn't sure he ever would be, so it didn't make much difference. And maybe Ai was right that things had to start somewhere. So he nodded again, smiling a little shyly up at the thief.
KID's manic grin softened into a smile. "In that case, I think some introductions are in order."
He let go of Shinichi and stepped back, sweeping into a deep bow. Sweeping one of the detective's hands up in his own as he did so, he dropped a kiss on the back of Shinichi's hand. "Kuroba Kaito, at your service." Straightening, he produced a red rose with a flick of his wrist and offered it to his counterpart. "And you are?"
Shinichi blinked. "What?"
The thief quirked an eyebrow, smirking. "That's an interesting name."
Shinichi huffed. "You already know my name."
"Humor me."
Shinichi stared at him a moment longer before giving in. Honestly, KID was just weird. "Kudo Shinichi. It's nice to meet you." He accepted the rose, blush returning. "You planned for all this didn't you?"
"Of course. I wanted to see if you would come to me or if I had to chase you."
"…That sounded just a little bit creepy."
"My apologies. But I was being honest."
"That's…what makes it creepy."
The thief waved a hand dismissively. "That aside, I—" He stopped as they both heard the sound of approaching feet. He scowled. "And here I thought we'd have a bit more time. Ah well. I'll pick you up tomorrow at ten. We'll have lunch together. Good night." With a grin and a wink, he was gone, but not before he picked up the box of chocolates he'd set aside earlier. Then he was diving off the roof just as Nakamori came charging into view.
Shinichi slipped away before the outraged inspector could decide to take out his frustration on the last detective at the heist to see and not stop KID. All the way home, he felt buoyed up by a warm giddiness that he had never experienced before. The evening had not gone anything like how he had imagined it would, but he was more than glad about that. He blushed, remembering the thief's words and the kiss. His stomach squirmed in mixed embarrassment and happiness.
Tomorrow couldn't come fast enough.
KID—no, Kaito—was wrong about one thing though. Love was, in Shinichi's opinion, a million times more complicated and difficult to unravel than any murder mystery could ever be.