Ball and Chains

The last thing Kaito ever expected himself to do was to match make Hattori Heiji and Toyama Kazuha together.

A/N: Not exactly AU, but this story takes place in a setting where it's not in Osaka or Tokyo, but just somewhere both Kazuha and Heiji would meet Kaito and Aoko on a frequent basis.

"Stop sleeping."

Kaito opened one of his eyes and snorted. "There's no customers."

"Still," Aoko gave him a pointed look before smacking his back, forcing him to straighten his posture. "If the manager sees you like this, you'll get fired."

"Damn, you got me. That was my plan."

Aoko huffed. "As if you can afford to get fired." She slapped his back again when he was about to slouch over the counter. "We still owe the college money for breaking the library's glass windows."

He scoffed at Aoko's back when she disappeared to the staffroom at the back of the store. With the money he saved up from his night-activities, Kaito could definitely afford to get fired. But he'd already robbed her father out of her life on a frequent basis, and now it was the fault of his prank that took away the fun she could have during the entire summer holidays too. If he didn't stay, she would be working all alone, and the guilt that was eating him was the one and only reason he did.

The bell that suddenly chimed by the door broke his thoughts. He made a lousy greeting attempt before raising an amused eyebrow when he realized who the customers were.

These two again.

His greetings weren't returned or even needed. The two were in the midst of bickering as they entered the store, but their steps were in sync and they knew were they wanted to go. They walked around the candy shelves, stopped by the fridge, opened the door, closed the door, and the sound of their quarrelling grew louder until they reached the cashier counter.

"It's ya fault!" The fair woman, which Kaito knew as Toyama Kazuha (from the times he heard her being called), spat.

"It's not!" The dark man, which Kaito knew as Hattori Heiji, growled back.

Kazuha slammed the bottle of mineral water onto the counter, her glare turning more intensified. "How is it not? Now I can't join the summer's competition because you told them about my back injury."

"It's for your goddamn sake!"

"My injury isn't a big deal!"

"...Uh, hi?"

They turned and stared at Kaito in surprise, as if they weren't expecting him to be there in the first place.

Kaito cleared his throat and continued. "Do you want to get another mineral water? The second bottle is at half price."

The contorted look on Kazuha's face instantly disappeared like magic. "Oh." She glanced over to Heiji. "Wanna get it?"

He opened his palm and sifted through the coins in his hand. "Okay. I have enough coins ta' buy it."

The only sound that filled the store was their footsteps as they left the counter to get the water together. Kaito thought the quiet atmosphere didn't quite fit the two, but he was absolutely fine with it; his eardrums always needed a break after serving them.

And just when Kaito thought this was the break he needed, they were back with another bottle, and it was Heiji who slammed it onto the counter.

"Your injury is a big deal, ahou." He scowled.

Kazuha narrowed her eyes. "I know my health better than anyone else."

"No you don't."

"Yes I do."

Kaito sighed inwardly as he scanned the items. The only time they stopped was when Kaito prompted them for payment and Heiji handed the exact change and grabbed the bottles of water. They resumed immediately after, and even when the sliding door closed behind them, Kaito could still hear their faint argument through the glass panels.

After a short while, Aoko emerged out of the staffroom with a cartoon of candies that needed to be restocked. "What were those noises just now? When I was inside, I almost thought I was at a zoo."

Kaito scoffed. "I thought I was too."

.o.

"I'll head to the bathroom real quick." Aoko said, and not waiting for Kaito's reply, she dashed to the back of the store.

Kaito glanced up at the clock behind his head. It was a little past one in the morning. They were usually responsible for morning shift because they were technically still children, or at least that was what their manager thought them as. But once in a while, they'd be assigned to night shifts, and tonight was the night.

Despite the rarity of customers, Kaito still noticed a pattern. From his self-trainings to read people's body language, he could tell what the customers wanted the moment they entered the store. The reasons were commonly categorised to two:

One, to get some food for their guilty midnight snack.

Two, to get a last-minute pack of condoms.

But when the bell rang and Kaito watched Hattori Heiji walking into the store alone, he was, for once, incapable of making a guess like what he'd done for all the other customers that came in before. The tanned man's toned muscles and fast movements suggested a low possibility of snacking habits, but he didn't look as eager or horny as the other men that always eyed on the boxes of condoms at the bottom shelves of the cashier counter too.

Instead, Heiji looked a little confused, as though he wasn't sure why he was here in the first place. But in a blink of an eye, he suddenly darted to the other side of the store and lingered at the miscellaneous section.

It wasn't long before Heiji trudged back to the counter, his face firm and stoic. Before Kaito could say a word, Heiji cut in first.

"Is that girl employee around?" He wrinkled his nose, trying to recollect his memories. "The one who always works with you."

"And what do you need her for?" Kaito drawled. The manager would probably fire him if he heard Kaito speak in such a way to a customer, but he couldn't give a damn about it.

Heiji seemed too busy being conflicted over the thoughts in his head to care over Kaito's tone and words. After a few seconds, he placed the item that he was hiding behind his back the entire time onto the counter.

Kaito blinked.

It was a pack of sanitary pads.

"I wanna ask if this is the best brand." Heiji glanced at his phone irritably. "Kazuha isn't replying to my texts or calls so I have no idea what she wants." He muttered, almost to himself.

"...Oh."

"So is she around?"

Right on the cue, Aoko skipped out from the staff room while humming to her favourite, routine song. She stopped once she noticed Heiji, and her face bloomed pink. "Opps, sorry!" She mustered a sheepish smile, though it slightly faded when she noted the odd atmosphere. "Is there something wrong?"

"I've got a question." Heiji pointed at the sanitary pad. "I want to buy this, but I'm not sure if this is the best brand here ya."

Aoko stepped to Kaito's side, and she took quite a few seconds to register his words into her head. "Well… This is what most of my girl friends use," she paused, and Kaito didn't miss her gaze flickering from him and back at the sanitary pads again. "I'm using it too. I think whoever you're buying it for will be fine with it."

"Great," Heiji nodded and pushed the pack towards Kaito. "I'll take this." He said confidently, as if he was announcing the winners of the Olympic Games. After the quick payment, he gave a quick bow and skipped out of the store.

As the chime of the bell died out, Aoko broke the newfound silence with a heavy sigh. "This is the first time I've ever seen a guy looking so enthusiastic and more than willing to buy something like a pack of sanitary pad for a girl. She must be so lucky." She cast Kaito a side-long glance. "Will you ever do such things for me?"

Kaito turned and looked at her, his mind went blank like a clean sheet of paper. He wasn't sure what things Aoko were referring to, but he knew he'd done things that she would never imagine; saving their clock tower for her, falling off the Touto tower with her, getting stabbed by glass shards to protect her-

But before he could say anything, Aoko gave a smile that had nothing to do with her inward emotions. "Should've known the answer myself." She said, before whistling her way out of the counter to continue her stocking up duties.

Kaito sighed, and watched her back until she disappeared behind a shelf.

As if she'd ever know.

.o.

There were times when Kaito wondered if Aoko's nerves were made of steel.

Besides daringly suggesting to visit the school at night just to check if the ghost stories were true, she'd told off adults when she caught them littering and even went face to face with the infamous Phantom Thief alone (even if it was technically him, and that he would never hurt her... it was still a fact she went to confront a criminal on her own).

That was why when Aoko suddenly blurted, "Are you two dating?" as she was scanning the items, Kaito should've already seen it coming.

"W-What?" Heiji choked.

Kazuha blinked, dumbfounded for words.

But two seconds later, they exclaimed in union. "We're not dating!"

"Really?" Aoko frowned sadly and placed the last item into the bag. "Oh, and that'll be 1200 yen; by cash or credit?" She helpfully broke the awkward silence (which also happened because of her too).

"Credit." Kazuha mumbled and rummaged through her wallet.

"Cash." Heiji was faster. He handed his notes to Aoko before Kazuha could protest. "You can give me more of your home-made gyoza next time, as repayment."

All Aoko did was raising her eyebrows and they were back to their frantic mode.

"We happen to live close by!" and "I'm just eating the leftovers!" were heard at the same time (Kaito wanted to face palm, but acting deaf seemed like a better and considerate choice for them).

"Alright, here's your change." Aoko chuckled and returned some coins to Heiji. "Have a nice day."

Kaito wished he could videotape the way they hastily scrambled out of the store. It would make a good inspiration if he needed to think of new methods of escaping plan in the future.

.o.

"I still can't believe they're not dating." Aoko shook her head, watching the pair from above the tall shelves; Heiji and Kazuha had been loitering around the comic section since they came in, while Kaito and Aoko were assigned restocking duties just two shelves behind.

"What I can't believe is that they still came back here even after you teased them."

"Because deep down in their heart, they probably think what I said was near to truth." Aoko stopped straining her neck to look at Kaito. "Don't you find them compatible?"

"No comment."

Aoko shook her head, but it didn't take her long before her mood brightened again. "Why not we make another bet?"

Kaito had a feeling he knew what it was, though he decided to entertain her with his obliviousness. "On?"

"I think they'll get together before the end of summer break." She grinned, seeming pleased and confident with her answer.

He tried to act surprise, as though he wasn't so perceptive about Aoko and had no idea she was going to say what she had said. "Ha? What about the previous bet?"

"That's not valid anymore; We were betting on how long their relationship were, but they aren't even in one."

"Then I guess it's over."

"C'mon, don't be such a bummer!" Aoko knocked her shoulder against his playfully. "The prize for this is still the same. The one with the closest answer will get a movie treat from the loser."

Her subtle acts and indirect words might work on others but not on him; Kaito knew her too well to not guess it all out. He squeezed the packet of chips into its shelf-space, not once looking at her. "...You know, if you really want to watch a movie, you can just tell me and I'll bring you."

Though on the surface his attention was focused on his task, he could see Aoko's cheeks brightening like a red tomato. "It's not like I want t-to watch a movie with you! It's for the bet."

He could try to argue until she speaks the truth, but what was the point? He'd just digging his own grave if he made Aoko admit that only thing he himself couldn't prove to her now.

So all he replied was a scoff. This was the only facade that fitted him best.

"Anyway," Aoko resumed her duties and slotted another brand of chips next to the Kaito's restocking space. "Just make a guess."

Kaito paused and mulled over it for a couple of seconds. "Judging from how oblivious they are, I guess it'll take more than a summer break to see them together."

Frowning, she paused her work and tilted her head towards him. "I'm not sure if you're mocking them or if that's your bet."

He grinned. "It's both."

.o.

Besides that night when Heiji came to buy sanitary pads, this was the second time Kaito seen him alone, and coincidentally during his night shift again.

But this was probably Heiji's first time seeing Kaito working alone without Aoko. He seemed shocked, as though someone told him pigs could fly when Kaito explained that Aoko wasn't around; It just so happened that she couldn't make it for tonight's shift because her father got gastric flu and she wanted to stay at home to look after him.

"I thought you two came in a pair or something." Heiji said. Kaito replied nothing as he watched him pocket his change and uncapped the bottle of drink he bought.

Kaito frowned inwardly. He didn't exactly mind Heiji's presence if he was going to mind his own business and finish his drink before leaving, but the tension on Heiji's shoulder told Kaito there was something more to why he stayed. But he opted for an oblivious role (which he often took because he didn't want to create trouble for himself), and started dusting the cigarettes section behind him.

It wasn't seconds later when Heiji suddenly cleared his throat. Once Kaito glanced back, Heiji willed himself to speak. "Are you and that girl dating?"

There was a long pause. "...What?"

Was this some kind of revenge question? Why the hell was he the only one implicated? But before Heiji could repeat himself since he genuinely thought Kaito couldn't hear, Kaito continued. "No we're not. We're just friends."

"Friends, huh?" Heiji didn't look convince, but Kaito found no gain in trying to persuade him otherwise. He would just be wasting his breath, like all the other times when his mother, Jii, Hakuba and everyone else that asked about his relationship with Aoko.

But still, Kaito was curious about one thing. "Why the question?"

Heiji paused in his sips, obviously trying to prolong the time to reply. "Thought I could ask something."

Kaito nearly snorted. Nearly. "For relationship advice?"

"No." Heiji looked disgusted and capped his bottle. Seeing how he reacted, Kaito felt like he was back in elementary school, seeing little kids denying pesky feelings like love.

"Then?" Kaito raised an eyebrow. He couldn't understand what else could there be anything for Heiji to ask-

"I just wanna know where you'd confessed if you two dated."

This was the last and weirdest question Kaito ever expected. "Why?"

There was a painful, hesitant look in Heiji's eyes. He took in a deep breath and turned around to check the store. After confirming they were the only ones there, he turned back to Kaito, his eyes fiery with determination. "Don't tell Kazuha about this."

Their eye contact was so unsettling that Kaito had to look away for a moment. "Uh, okay-"

"I need inspiration for my confession location." Heiji dumped his bottle onto the counter. "Something grand."

"Grand." Kaito echoed dryly.

"Yes, grand." Heiji spat. Though the sigh he let out did calm him down, there was still some hint of annoyance in his tone. "I've got a friend who confessed by the Big Ben in London. And the girl returned the confession and kissed him at Kyoto's Kiyomizu Temple."

"Wow," Kaito said, nonplussed. Though he's flamboyant in his own ways, this was on another level. "They got both sides of the earth covered."

"Exactly." Heiji snapped and lowered his gaze bitterly. "Unlike mine... shit luck... lost the Kendo tournament... and that air defence force..."

Even though the store was quiet, and Kaito's ears were as alert and attentive as dogs, he couldn't hear the incoherent words that Heiji was muttering under his breath. "What?"

"Nothing." Heiji rubbed his nose, an attempt to dispel whatever he was trying to hide. "Anyway, do ya happen to read up on some cool places around here or anywhere else?"

Kaito took in a deep breath. He knew a couple of places with good city views, and secluded ones that could see thousands of stars… but he had something else on mind. "Actually... Shouldn't you be more concerned over whether she likes you back, rather than the place of confession?" He paused, drinking his own words and realized how foolish he was for not thinking a step further. "Oh, I guess it's because you know how she feels about you?"

"No, I don't know how she feels about me." Heiji gave a small smirk, but Kaito thought he'd saw a flicker in his green eyes. "But I want to do it right; to tell my feelings to her in a way I wouldn't regret. And no matter what her answer is, I'll greatly accept it."

Heiji's words were almost physical, like he could actually feel the weight of them washing over him with a sense of enlightenment. A short silence fell and Kaito pursed his lips.

Aoko hated Kaitou Kid, and this was more than a truth. It was a fact that everyone who knew Aoko would know about. But Kaito knew another thing too. He knew what the implications of Aoko's invitations to dinners and festivals meant. He knew what those awkward glances and her concerns over how he felt about her new appearances meant. He knew what everything she did towards him meant, but he couldn't act upon it... or more like he didn't dare to act upon it.

Because in truth, he feared the things he envisioned Aoko would do to him once he spoke the truth, and he would never be able to accept it, unlike how Heiji would be able to if Kazuha happened to reject him. He wished he had the kind of courage; to admit everything and tell her how he felt, just so he could stop what he didn't want to do to Aoko the most too.

Lying.

"I see." Kaito finally said, not really expecting a response but feeling the need to say something, just to prevent the possibility of Heiji to think that Kaito was, by any chance, asking the question for himself.

Heiji glanced at the clock on the wall. "Well damn, I better go." He raised the bottle in a form of goodbye wave. "Thanks anyway."

"I didn't do much."

"It feels better to tell someone about it." Heiji said and turned, before halting his steps and spun around again, fully facing him. "But don't you dare expose me in front of-"

Kaito gave him a pointed look. "No matter how asshole I am, I would never stoop that low."

Heiji smirked. "I'll take your word for it."

And then he left.

.o.

It wasn't until Heiji's third visit after that night when Kaito finally had the chance to talk to him alone; Aoko was tending to another customer at the ice cream section while Kazuha was engrossed with some magazine at the bookshelves.

"I have an idea," Kaito said coolly as he scanned Heiji's items. "But I don't know if you've used it yet."

After a second pause, Heiji blinked at the coins in his hand before looking at Kaito, eyes wide. "You're... helping me?"

"I've never said I didn't want to." Kaito drawled and placed the last item into the bag. "And honestly, I have nothing better to do too."

Heiji glanced over his shoulder and leaned forward after noting Kazuha was still focused on the magazines. "What idea chu' got?"

"Do you two have some kind of special landmark? Like your first meeting place or something. You can try confessing there rather than random places you find out of a tourist handbook."

The look of enlightenment on Heiji's face was a little too disturbing for Kaito's taste. He frowned when Heiji continued looking at him like that, and his brows merged even further when Heiji glanced over his shoulder again, but he was staring at Aoko instead of Kazuha. He turned back to Kaito.

"Are you and that girl really not dating?"

Kaito sent him a withering look. "In what bloody way do you come up with that, again?"

"You seemed to be speaking from experience."

"It's an idea."

"An idea that sounded like you've been hatching on for a long while."

Kaito glared and punched a button on the cash register. "That'd be 200 yen."

"Okay, sorry." Heiji raised a hand in defeat and dumped the coins onto Kaito's palm. "I've got this habit of interrogating people, that all."

He snorted. That justified a lot, though Kaito sort of knew it a long time ago, from the university criminology club T-shirt he often wore, his resemblance to the Superintendent Supervisor of Osaka Prefectural Police Headquarters, and that one time when Aoko excitedly (much to his annoyance) showed him the front page of a magazine she was stocking up that time, featuring Hattori Heij: Detective of the West.

"Well, I do have a place... The place when I started... liking her." Heiji mumbled and scratched his nose in a manner Kaito guessed was nervous. "Though she probably doesn't remember or know, since I was watching her from afar while she was playing with a ball under a tree."

Kaito handed Heiji his change and the plastic bag of items. "That's a good chance to tell her that too."

"You know what, maybe you're right. Why didn't I think of it before?" Heiji let out a breath that resembled a laugh. And within a millisecond, his face brightened up too. "I'll do it tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Kaito raised an eyebrow. "Where's that place? Not in London like that friend of yours, right?" (He didn't mean to, but he just had to ask)

"No." Heiji said, his tone slightly brittle. "It's in Kyoto-"

"Are you done?"

The source of the voice came from Kazuha, who suddenly materialised and stood by the counter, looking all innocent and cheerful like she always was. Not just Heiji, but Kaito was stunned to silence at her entrance, and she instantly noticed their odd behaviour as she blinked incredulously at them. "What?" She touched her cheeks. "Is there something on my face?"

"Nothing. You face is perfect- I mean perfectly fine." Heiji coughed out loud, as if that would rectify the mistake he accidentally made (He also sent Kaito a glare when the latter snorted).

"You're being weird-"

"What are you talking about?" He pulled Kazuha towards the door, and their squabbling continued even after they exited the store.

.o.

"Kaito! Can you help me with the newspapers?"

"Okay." He dropped the cartoon of milk he was stocking and jogged to the other side of the store where Aoko called him from. He partially rolled up his sleeve, ready to do whatever she needed him to do, but he stopped when his eyes glanced across the title page.

Monsoon season strikes Kyoto: Massive downpour since early morning.

.o.

"I heard Kyoto's hit with the monsoon season two days ago." Kaito said as he handed Heiji his change and the bottle of soda. He wasn't up for small talks, but this was the only thing he could say to prompt the conversation when all Heiji did for the past five minutes since he entered the convenience store was glaring into thin air.

"Yeah." Heiji mumbled and uncapped his soda on the spot.

It was another rare moment to not see Kazuha alongside with him, and Kaito wasn't sure if it was a good or a bad sign. And to add on to Heiji's sour mood... Kaito gave a quick glance to the other side of the store, where Aoko was busy with her duties, before looking back at Heiji and lowering his voice. "Did it not go well?"

Heiji looked at him with a slightly puzzled look. "What?"

"Uh, your confession?" Kaito frowned, and gave him an are you serious? look. His proclamation to confess happened just three days ago.

Heiji was back to his brooding mood again. "We didn't even board the goddamn train." He muttered.

"So you didn't get to confess?"

"No. The plan was all ruined from the start."

Kaito wasn't sure how to reply. He should try acting shock and sad, but inwardly, he thought that not boarding the train was seriously a much better choice. Even though raining scenes are popular in romance movies for a reason, Kaito didn't believe Heiji had the skills to speak fluently like how those Hollywood actors could; He would probably be spurting out more water than words during his confession.

"I wanted to go again, but the weather, like ya know, isn't helping." Heiji sighed, and chugged some of his soda down.

"Well, there's always another time-"

"It's frustrating." Heiji gritted his teeth. Luckily, the store was a little bit crowded and noisy, so his voice didn't garner much attention. "I've already been telling myself that for four shitty years."

Kaito had been putting it off for six years, but this wasn't a competition he was proud to win. He briefly glanced at Aoko before pushing back those thoughts. "How about a fool proof plan?" He suggested.

This was the first time Heiji's brows stopped merging. "What?"

"Not something impactful or fancy that you'll like, but at least there's a guarantee."

"I can consider." Heiji leaned forward, his face intrigued. "Where's that place?"

"Your room." Kaito stated, as if it was the most simplest and easiest thing he could ever say in his life. Even though Heiji's face had turned into a scowl, Kaito continued. "Lock the door and there'll be no disturbance and interruptions. And of course, best shelter."

"Are you kidding me-"

"And," Kaito leaned over the counter and plucked a box from the bottom shelves. "You can use this right after."

Heiji stared at the box of condom for five, long seconds before picking it up and throwing it at Kaito's face. "Screw you."

Kaito caught the box before it landed on his nose. "It's a good proposition, if you ask me."

"No." Heiji glowered.

"Then what are you going to do?"

Their conversation was cut short when a customer approached the counter to make payment, and despite how Kaito's question was still hanging in the air, Heiji didn't wait to answer and left.

.o.

After hiding his motorbike inside a large shrub of an isolated park, which was just below the bridge he drove off a minute ago, Kaitou Kid abandoned his hat and cape and changed out into his dark jeans and black shirt, a contrast of his stunning white suit. The dense trees were hindering the thing he had to do after stealing what he promised, so he trudged further inside the park, keeping his movement noiseless and subtle as he moved along the shadows of the trees.

When he reached the part of the quiet park where the trees were more spread out, Kaito stood under a perfect spot and pulled out the gem from his pocket, exposing it under the dark sky. He waited as patiently as he could, hoping and silently praying, but there was no reaction even after half a minute passed. Dejected, he lowered his arm and grudgingly stared at the gem. It was worth enough to feed a village for a month, but to him, it was worthless.

Another failed-

"Kazuha."

The blue gem nearly slipped out of Kaito's gloved fingers if he didn't react fast enough. After keeping it inside his pocket, he spun around, wondering if his recent insomniac nights had caused him to hallucinate whatever he just heard. Deciding to play safe, he crept and hid as much of himself behind a random tree, to check if what he guessed was correct.

He couldn't believe his goddamn eyes.

What kind of luck is this?

Indeed, Heiji and Kazuha were sitting on a large bench just fifteen yards away. A motorbike was parked next to Heiji, and the stick of ice cream in each of their hands were near to finish.

"Yeah?" Kazuha glanced at him and licked the part of her melting ice cream.

"Did you have fun today?"

"Of course!" She exclaimed, her back straightened in delight. "It's been long since we went to an amusement park, and that..."

Kazuha's voice had become a distant hum of noise as all Kaito was concerned about was Heiji's odd, floating look. Heiji was looking at Kazuha's face, but at the same time, his eyes didn't seem straight. His line of sight was tilted a little bit downwards, and Kaito instantly knew which part of Kazuha's face was Heiji truly looking at.

Kaito inwardly scoffed (To think that Heiji was acting so morally when Kaito jokingly handed him the box of condom nearly a week ago). He glanced down at his watch. Jii was probably already waiting for him in the second get-away car, but the only way for Kaito to get out of the park was by cutting right across Heiji's path. He could fake a disguise and pretend to be an old man who just finished his walk, but if this was the moment Heiji intended to confess...

His feet started to fidget. Since when, and why, did he care about that in the first place? Kaito wanted to face-palm, but all he did was biting his lips agitatedly and glanced at his watch again. If the police were smart enough this time, it wouldn't be long before they realize that-

"Kaitou Kid! You're under arrest!"

Kaito's head shot up, lips pursed and eyes wide as he stared horrifically at Inspector Nakamori signalling his men into the park. Now that Kaito noticed, he could see the parked police cars outside the entrance, and they had turned off the siren and flashing lights, which smartly reduced the warnings of their arrival to zero. The policemen that Inspector Nakamori directed in were already inside and crowding the bench in one big circle, while a handful were waiting on standby outside.

Heiji and Kazuha had never looked so confused in their life.

"W-What?!" Heiji frowned, eyes darting between the dozen of officers surrounding them.

"Drop you act, Kaitou Kid! Think that changing your skin colour and accent can fool me?" Inspector Nakamori sneered. "This is the only place Kaitou Kid could be after driving off that bridge."

"Kaitou Kid?" Heiji's frown turned even more ominous, which Kaito never knew it was even possible. "I have no bloody idea what you are talking-"

"Sir!" A policeman called out as he flipped through his notepad and pointed at the motorbike beside Heiji. "The bike model and colour is similar, but the license number is different. We might need to do check before confirming if this motorbike is the one Kid used."

"There's no need to waste such time. Bring him back to the station and we'll have a good talk."

"And the lady...?"

"Arrest her too." Inspector Nakamori nodded, assenting his subordinates to take Kazuha as well. "His accomplice isn't going anywhere either."

"Wait-! Ow, let go of me!" She exclaimed.

"We have nothing to do with that dumbshit Kaitou Kid!" Heiji growled as he struggled under the grip of two policemen.

"Save your breaths until after I lock you two in your jail."

Kaito stood there in the shadows under the tree, utterly dumbfounded even after watching Heiji and Kazuha being shoved inside the police car and driven away ten minutes ago.

Feeling guilty might be a bit of an understatement.

.o.

It wasn't a coincidence, Kaito decided, that Heiji had blatantly disrupted his heists three consecutive times in the past two weeks.

.o.

Aoko had recently won a free reservation and two full-course meal from a contest she'd participated, and she insisted the only reason why she asked Kaito along was because no one else was free on her off-day besides him. But he hated fine dining; There were too many rules to follow, too much etiquettes to care about...

But there he was, wearing a heavy navy suit and sitting in a fancy chair with a handful of alien-looking utensils spreading across the table in front of him, just because she gave him that look when she asked him to accompany her (It was the kind of look that made his heart skip a beat, and his stupid brain and disobedient tongue ended up agreeing to her before he realized what he exactly said).

They were in the midst of their main course, talking about things that no one in the same restaurant would talk about. They first started off with cats, and then making puns out of the salad they ate, and then about her dad, and his mom, and then about a new TV programme that was airing recently, and in some way or another, the topic drifted to this:

"I've noticed that you're talking to Hattori-san more than usual," Aoko said after swallowing her carefully-chewed steak. "Are you up to something?"

Kaito scoffed. "And what can I be up to?"

"Maybe, like, playing tricks to change the outcome of our bet?" She said, and paused for a moment before looking at him reluctantly. "...You do remember that bet we made, right?"

Of course he did. He kept his expression nonchalant and nodded. "Yeah."

She jerked back in genuine surprise, and the top of her blue, sleeveless dress slightly creased during her movement. "I thought you'd forget."

"You're belittling my memories skills-"

"Not that," Aoko said thoughtfully and stared at her plate, as if it held the answers to the universe. "You only pick the things that you want to remember, and I'm surprise that this is one of the things you choose."

He wanted to say, "because it's said by you," but what came out of his mouth was, "the winner gets a free movie. How can I forget?"

Aoko rolled her eyes knowingly. "Should've guessed it. But back to what I've asked; you aren't up to something, right?"

"I never cheat, Ahouko."

She twitched her nose and looked at him with slightly narrowed eyes; and from the years of learning her quirks, he knew she wasn't convinced. "Really? Because the last time I remembered, you cheated during the relay race by messing with the batons and got first."

"That's more than a decade ago. We were in elementary school-"

"It's still cheating."

Her little outburst caught a few people's attention, and she quickly passed an apologetic look to them, her cheeks growing redder as every second passed. It wasn't until when Aoko's embarrassed features were replaced with a surprised look then Kaito realized he'd been unconsciously staring at her pinkish, soft-looking lips all the while.

"K-Kaito!" Aoko hushed over the table.

He quickly averted his gaze from her lips and blinked. "What?"

"Is that-" She pointed to her right, to the other side of the restaurant.

He turned, half-wondering what Aoko was making a fuss about when his eyes widened.

There, sitting by the special window seat, was none other than Heiji and Kazuha. Heiji's black suit and tie made him look proper, and it was the same for Kazuha too, as she was donned in a light green, off shoulder dress that reached till her knees. Though Kaito wasn't accustomed to their attires since he'd only seen them in jeans and shirts, they still, nonetheless, looked just as compatible as all the other married couples here.

"What a coincidence." Aoko took a sip of water. "I wonder if they won the same contest I entered too. There were two other winners after all."

Kaito wondered what the odds were, for Heiji to bring Kazuha to an extremely-expensive restaurant just to have dinner. Then again, since he'd also been raving on and on about meaningful impacts and what-nots, Kaito highly doubted he would use a pair of free meal vouchers and confessed today too. The two reasons were mutually exclusive, and the only thing Kaito could think of, for them to be here, was because Heiji bought Kazuha on his accord and planned to confess here.

With the distance and the way they spoke like bullet trains, it was hard for Kaito to lip-read, but no one really needed a brain to tell that their conversation was pleasant. And on the cue, as though to prove the thoughts in his head right, Heiji and Kazuha both laughed in sync.

Kaito simply shrugged to Aoko's question and returned to his meal.

"Do you think they're already dating? " Aoko grinned and raised her eyebrows playfully. "That means I've won the bet!"

Before he could think of a reply, his sidelong glance noticed Heiji's face turned solemn. And out of all the words Heiji had said from the beginning, this was the only sentence Kaito could decipher:

"I want to tell you something."

Kaito's breath hitched. Is he... going to confess now?

Aoko, who was now looking at the pair, sensed the change in their atmosphere too. "Why are they looking so serious all of the sudden?" She wondered out loud.

"Maybe-" was all Kaito could say, before a loud bell abruptly shrilled across the restaurant floor.

Everyone's heads started darting around, seemingly searching for an answer to the loud interruption to their meal. Some began to stand, and some were screaming and demanding to know what was going on. Kaito and Aoko stared at each other in mute surprise, and their eye contact was only broken when a waiter came to their table with a regretful look.

"I'm sorry sir and madam, we need you to proceed to the entrance-"

"What happened?" Aoko asked.

"The buildings' staff are checking, but a fire is suspected to have taken place three levels above us." The waiter bowed and gestured them towards the entrance. "My manager will be taking you down the fire exit from the entrance."

As they stood up to follow the waiter's instruction, Kaito felt a hand wrapping around his right arm. He glanced down, staring at the source of comfortable warmth.

"I know I shouldn't be saying this," Aoko whispered, and gripped onto his arm to lean closer to him, "but I was looking forward to the dessert."

He swallowed inconspicuously, all while trying to ignore the unusual prickling sensation that was numbing his entire right arm. He only spoke when his flawless mask of nonchalance was in place. "Do I need to act surprise if I actually knew you're going to say that?" (His true surprise was due to something else)

"You're such a wonder at comfort." She drawled sarcastically.

"Others have it worse." He remarked.

"Oh," Aoko glanced over her shoulder, watching some irritated-looking customers briskly walking towards the entrance. "I guess you're right. At least we had our appetisers and mains. Some probably haven't gotten to eat anything."

And besides that, Kaito peered towards the direction where he last saw Heiji from the corner of his eyes. Someone's confession got ruined again.

.o.

It was strange, how Heiji refused to give up despite all the downfalls. Kaito wasn't sure if he was just born with such attitude or his love for Kazuha was just too big to simmer despite all those past failures, but for four years… He'd been trying nonstop every single time.

And then Kaito realized he and him were almost the same. He'd been searching for a myth all these while, but he always got nothing but disappointment shining back at his face whenever he lifted the loot to the sky. And this disappointment had been ongoing for six years. Six years.

But there was a difference. It was the type of luck they needed.

Kaito could either retire by his next heist or live his entire life as Kaitou Kid. There was nothing he could do besides hoping and wishing the next gem he shines under the moon would glow red before smashing it into pieces. And for that to happen, what he needed was luck to bring him to the jewel, and vice versa.

What Heiji needed wasn't exactly luck. He needed a lucky star, something to guide him to the starting line before letting him sprint on his own; he always tripped before the race, and he kept on changing his glasses when the problem was his shoelaces.

Nothing in the world could represent Kaito's luck, and that was fine. But if no one wants to be Heiji's lucky star, Kaito guessed he had to do the job.

.o.

Digital billboards, cars' headlamps, city building lights... All of them had a part to build the fantastic and brilliant night view that Heiji and Kazuha were admiring from the hilltop they were standing at. Besides the magnificent man-made wonders below, the glow from the big, round moon above them didn't dull, including the few shining stars they spotted despite the light pollution.

Even though it was Heiji's second time here, he felt just as surreal as his first visit. Kazuha seemed to be sharing the same sentiments as him too, or perhaps she was reacting much more than what Heiji was willing to show.

"Oh my God, Heiji!" Kazuha exclaimed, her voice ringing loudly in his ears. "How did you know this place?"

.

"The weather is stated to be clear today so it should be fine."

Though Heiji understood, he gave no indication as he was still too star-struck by the beauty of the city lights below. After a while, he turned and stared at the nonchalant man beside him, who was watching the city lights with mild interest, as if he'd seen it a thousand time before.

They weren't exactly friends; Just a regular customer and an employee of a convenience store. He knew Kaito's name through his name tag, and he wasn't sure if Kaito even knew what his name was. But some way or another, Heiji trusted him, more than he thought he should. He wasn't sure if it was his laid back attitude or that he looked somewhat similar to Kudo that made him feel this way...

"Oh, and don't worry about any intruders." Kaito added. "I'll take care of that."

Heiji was too distracted by his current thoughts that it didn't occur to him how Kaito was supposed 'to take care of that'. Instead, he asked another question, one that had been bothering since they first agreed to meet at the train station after Kaito's work when the latter said he had a legitimate plan for Heiji that same day.

"Why are you going to this extent to help me?"

Kaito made a small noise, something between a sigh and a cough as he averted his eyes. "Do you remember that time when you asked where I'd confess if I dated?"

Heiji blinked. "You mean this is-"

"It's a good spot. Don't you think?"

"It is," Heiji stared at the side of Kaito's impassive face, wondering what it would be like if he tries to break that cool facade. But he thought the better out of it. There were boundaries he knew that weren't meant for him to cross, no matter if he did that to Kudo a couple of times before.

"Yeah," Kaito said, seeming to answer that silent question that Heiji didn't ask. "So it'd be a waste if I let this place go unused."

"You sure-"

"Of course," Kaito smirked and patted a hand encouraging on the front of Heiji's jacket. "Anyway, this is all I can do. The rest is up to you. Good luck."

.

"A friend told me about it."

Kazuha beamed, her eyes back to the lights. "Your friend's got taste."

Heiji's lips tugged. He owed Kaito more than a million thanks, for being part of the reason why Kazuha looked so happy now.

"Anyway, Kazuha." Heiji cleared his throat. He'd been reciting his next line more than a hundred times when they were trekking up the hill a while go. "Besides taking a night walk, I brought you here for another reason, which is, well, the main reason actually."

She looked at him with genuine curiosity. "What is it?"

He'd made up almost a hundred retarded reasons when Kazuha asked him again, about what he originally wanted to tell her after his confession plan was botched (Like that time when she asked him what he wanted to tell her before their fine-dining dinner was interrupted by the fire bell, and he told her that he just wanted to ask her if he should adopt a cat or a dog).

But there was nothing that would stop him now. The sky was clear, the hill was quiet and empty; the setting was perfect. And this, this would be time he'd finally speak the truth.

Heiji gulped and straightened his posture.

"Kazuha-"

The first thing that shocked them both was the sudden light that blasted in the sky, and when the next fireworks came, the sound of booms and explosion reached their ears. More colours started to fill the sky, and it looked as though someone had flicked dozen, different coloured glitter over a black canvas.

Though the sudden sight stunned them to mute shock, Heiji recovered first.

Are you KIDDING ME?! He screamed in his head.

"What's this?!" Kazuha squealed elatedly, her eyes wide and sparkling. "Heiji! You planned it?"

"No! I have no idea what's this!" He yelled back, but the loud crackles and sonic booms made his shouts sound like nothing. Why. Why was this happening to him?!

"It's pretty though!" She beamed, and Heiji's anger died away instantly when he saw her smile. He stared at how her lips curled perfectly into a shape of a boat, and he wondered if she knew she was referring to herself too. And just like that, for the next five minutes or so, she quietly stood there and watched the sky, while he, on the other hand, watched her instead, admiring the shadows and faint light of the fireworks reflecting on her porcelain-like face. It was a show worth more than anything he'd seen in his life.

He really, really wanted to tell her now.

"Kazuha." He spoke solemnly. When she gave him no response, he tried again, "Kazuha!"

Seeming to sense his movements, she turned to him with a curious look. "Did you say something?"

He didn't wait, or prepare, or recite it at all. He simply burst it out. "I love you-"

"What? I can't hear you." Kazuha lowered her gaze to his lips, as though she was trying to figure out what he was saying through lip-reading. "Colourful? The fireworks are colourful? Can you say it another..."

And then it was his turn to stare at her lips as they moved in a hypnotising motion, and all of the sudden, he couldn't hear the fireworks or Kazuha speaking anymore.

And then something inside him flared.

It was an impulsive act, or a release of his pent-up feelings that he could no longer control; Heiji didn't know, but he knew it was a clumsy collision when he landed his lips on hers. The kiss was nothing like what most novels or movies described; it wasn't smooth or sexual or filled with lust. His lips were chapped while hers were wet, and their contact created this odd friction that felt like static. It was slow, and then he felt himself rushing, and then all of the sudden, Kazuha pushed him away.

It was also the same moment when the last firework sizzled in the sky, and the hill was consumed by silence; He couldn't hear anything, and he realized it was because he was holding onto his breath.

And then reality suddenly struck him as hard as truck.

When Heiji finally comprehend what he had done, he began to fluster. "Kazuha-" He shook his head, not knowing how to hide his embarrassment. "I'm sorry I-"

Instead of a slap or harsh tone that he expected, her voice that interrupted him was soft and melodic, giving him a chill as it echoed in his head and down to every bone in his body. "What was it that you wanted to say first?" She said, and gave him a pointed look. "You aren't telling me that the fireworks are colourful, right?"

He took a deep, shuddering breath. This was it. This was it.

"I wanted- All these time, I wanted to say I love you." Heiji swallowed, forcing his heart to stop beating like a hungry, wild animal. "Kazuha. I love you."

Before he could figure out what else to say (since he'd said everything that he always wanted to tell her), Kazuha grabbed the collar of his jacket and pulled him in. His eyes went from lowered to wide, before realization kicked in when he could taste the sweetness of Kazuha's lips again.

Everything happened so fast, yet so slow that Heiji could feel every moment in each frame of that second. He felt her hand moving to tug the back of his neck, and he did the same. Though Heiji's mouth was hard and Kazuha took it soft, there was a rhythm to it. Like a pattern. And it fitted them too well that it hurts Heiji's head just by imaging how perfect the moment was right now.

But they had to break apart, to catch their breaths and allow their heart to go back to ease, though it wasn't very effective when they were barely inches apart.

"I love you too, ahou." Kazuha sheepishly smiled and buried half of her face into his chest. "And it took us both so long to say this to each other." She muffled into his jacket.

He'd been to countless crime scenes and lectures to know at least a thousand ways a human can die. But this was the first; the first time he realized that one could possibly die from happiness. He almost did, really. He could feel his soul nearly leaving his body when he felt Kazuha wrapping her hands around his waist.

But just when he was about to embrace her back, she pushed herself off, and Heiji's brows creased. He hated that millisecond cold when Kazuha's body warmth left him.

"What's this?" She asked, and pressed onto his front pocket.

"Huh?" Heiji glanced down, and put his hand over Kazuha's, feeling the weird bulge that she was talking about. He didn't remember putting anything…? His eyes narrowed suspiciously as he rummaged the inside of his jacket before pulling the thing out-

It was a box of condom.

Silence.

Though Kazuha's blush was barely visible in the dim light, he still noticed it. "H-Heiji?"

An image of Kaito patting the front of his jacket suddenly flashed across Heiji's mind, and it didn't take him long to figure it out.

"...That freaking bastard."

.o.

"So..." Aoko cleared her throat as she scanned the items and stared at Heiji and Kazuha's entwined hands. "Are you two dating?"

They looked at each other and laughed.

"Maybe," was what both of them said, this time.

.o.

"I thought Aoko-chan's birthday is still a few months away?" Jii asked, while watching Kaito opposite the bar counter as he cleaned a wine glass.

"Yeah."

"Then what were the fireworks for?"

Kaito pocketed the receipt that was billed for those fireworks Jii was asking about. "For another purpose." Was all he said.

Jii, of course, wasn't going to settle for just that answer. "What purpose?"

It sounded utterly stupid, but there wasn't a better way to phrase it. Kaito sighed. "To lose a bet so I could treat Aoko to a movie."

"...Are you serious?"

"Well, we watched the-"

"I believe you." Jii laughed, his wrinkles showing. "But... to lose a bet? And fireworks? Just to ask Aoko-chan out for a movie? That's a little bit too much, isn't it?"

"I wonder." Kaito shrugged and smiled, the kind that felt natural on his lips and lightweight in his chest. "I guess I'm the biggest fool whenever it comes to her."

.end.

A/n: thank you for reading till the end of this yet-another ridiculous fic but anyway, hope you enjoyed :')