A/N: I SHOULD be working on an update for FWYK but what am I doing instead? oh yeah. ANOTHER TWO SHOT. Will I never stop starting things and then never finishing them? Anyway. KaiAo and ShinRan. KaiRan and ShinAo friendship? Idek you'd have to squint REALLY HARD to make it not platonic.

Why the hell did he end up here?

Of course, the irony wasn't lost on him. How many policemen and detectives have chased after his tail in the past year, only to be thwarted by a smoke bomb or a handy dandy hang glider cape? And now here he was, in the white tux, dripping onto Nemuri no Kogoro's doormat. It was a new level of pathetic, even for him.

Oh yeah. Now he remembered. He was moping. That's why.

No, really. What the hell was he doing here? Tantei-kun didn't live here anymore, ever since returning to his normal body. Besides, it's not like he'd be able to help anyway. No, in fact, Kaito got the sneaking suspicion that all Kudou would've done is laugh. Their predicaments may have been similar, but the circumstances were, after all, different.

He sneezed. Loudly. Flying in the rain was not the brightest idea he'd ever had.

Kaito entertained the idea of ringing the doorbell. Ah, yes, Mouri-san. I'm the Kaitou Kid, and I'd like to borrow a towel please? That would go over well.

Actually, considering that both residents of the Mouri Detective Agency knew some form of martial arts, that was probably also not the brightest idea he's ever had.

Too late though. Someone was shuffling behind the door. It seemed as though the sneeze had given him away. He couldn't very well fly from such a low starting vantage, and running was futile since the Mouris were, as previously stated, terrifying martial artists. God, was this how it final ends? Kaito could already see the headlines of the next morning's newspapers: "Kaitou Kid arrested by Famous Sleeping Detective."

Mouri Kogoro may not have been much of a detective but Kaito knew, from close up observation, that he had a hell of a throwing arm.

"Mou, Shinichi, didn't you say you're going to be late-" The door cracked open, and if it was even possible, Kaito got paler. He was very quickly revising that headline in his head. Maybe "Kaitou Kid murdered by Mysterious Karate Expert, Case Stumps even Famous Detective Kudou Shinichi" would be more fitting, since Mouri Ran could definitely kill him and her boyfriend would definitely write his death off as a suicide. Would it be too late to run now?

The dark-haired girl stared at him for a single, long, suffocating moment, as her voice died in her throat.

He smiled weakly. And she looked so damn much like her too. This was just a bad idea in its entirety wasn't it? Abort mission. Yup. Running was definitely a good idea. Maybe right now he should-

"You're…not Shinichi."

"Nope," he agreed, sure he'd notice his palms sweating buckets if not for the fact that his hands were currently trapped inside his soaked through gloves.

Ran stepped hesitantly away from the door. "Well…Shinichi's not here right now. If you've come to see him, you'll have to wait." The door cracked open another inch. "Would you like to come in, Kuroba-kun?"

Kaito thought he might have forgotten how to breathe. "How did you-?"

Ran smiled, and colored a little. "Shinichi promised no more secrets. Don't worry," she added, after a moment's consideration, as if just remembering, "I'm not planning on unmasking you. I don't think Sonoko would ever forgive me for that." She stepped inside, disappearing out of view, calling over her shoulder. "In any case, you're all wet. I can see if I can find some of my Tou-san's old clothes for you?"

He followed her hesitantly into the apartment, feeling distinctly like some sort of stray critter that had been taken pity upon. He would never allow anyone to see him like this in the suit—Kaitou Kid was supposed to be untouchable, capable of walking in the sky, maker of miracles, and definitely not bothered by something like rain—but the fact that Ran had looked so much like her probably had something to do with it…

Great, now he was dripping on her carpet.

Not for long though, since she came back the next second with a towel and a set of clothes. Kaito accepted the towel gratefully. She led him into a spare room to change. Kaito peeled off his wet things mechanically, changed, and returned to the living room. He'll get his wet gear later. Hopefully by then it'll have dried. And stopped raining.

"Tea?" Ran offered, already disappearing again, this time to the kitchen. "You can sit, you know. Shinichi said he'll be a while, what with the rain and all."

"Hmm?" Kaito hummed, distracted, then remembered what he was supposed to be here for. "…Oh. Uh. Yeah."

Ran reappeared, bearing a tray with a teapot and two cups, eyebrows raised. "You're not here to see him, are you?"

Kaito was sweating again. "Uh…"

She bent over, poured, and handed him a cup of steaming chamomile. Then she sat back with her own cup, and regarded him with serene blue eyes and an amused sort of half smile. "So, what can I do for you, Magician under the Moonlight-san?"

Her composure was almost eerie. Not that he wanted her to start beating him to a pulp, per se, but she hadn't seemed the least bit surprised to see Kaitou Kid, internationally wanted criminal 1412, dripping on her doorstep.

Then again, Kaito reflected, being the daughter and girlfriend of detectives, Mouri Ran had probably been subjected to the weirdest shit.

"How did you do it?"

Before he could even think, Kaito had blurted it out. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Damn his big mouth. He could've made up some lie about how he had important criminal business to discuss or even say that he just wanted to warn them about his next heist but no, his big stupid mouth had to just go off.

This is why he tried to uphold poker face as long as he could. When it shattered, the pieces, like his thoughts, scattered everywhere, and he became an idiotic mess.

"Do what?" Ran asked, honestly curious, sipping her tea.

Kaito swallowed, and looked away.

Across him, she sighed. "Something's eating you alive, Kuroba-kun. I know that look. I've seen Shinichi wear it often enough." A pause. "It's uncanny how much you two look alike, you know? Even your expressions."

He laughed, without humor. He could have said the same about her.

And maybe that was what had driven him here. Because she had always been the one he talked to and he had so much to say and so many questions that needed answering but now he couldn't talk to her and Ran was the closest substitute.

Again. New level of pathetic.

At least he never tried to deny it?

Kaito sighed, and ran a hand through his hair, now even more messy than usual because it was towel-mussed and half wet.

"How did you forgive Tantei—er, Kudou-kun?" he closed his eyes, waited for the verdict, because he was here and he might as well go out on a limb and hope that the answer would help him, right?

She looked surprised that he'd actually spoken, and then flushed when the words actually registered in her head. "For what?"

"You know. Pretending to be a seven year old. Lying to you for a year."

If Tantei-kun had been here, Kaito was pretty sure he'd have holes in the back of his head by now.

Ran turned a perceptive eye to him. Far more perceptive than he would've liked. Damn. Holes in the front of his head wasn't any better.

"Just answer the question, please?" Kaito hated how tired he sounded. But he had to ask. Had to know if it was even possible. How it was even possible.

Ran paused for a moment, considering, almost as if wondering, herself. And then she shrugged. "It's complicated. There were a lot of reasons." A smile, and she looked away, blue-eyed gaze misting as she let herself be drawn away by the memories.

Kaito wasn't sure if those were pleasant memories she was thinking of.

"When he first told me I was furious. I think, there were moments there where I actually did believe I hated him," Ran turned back to him matter-of-factly, sipping from her mug. "He'd let me wait for a year—when he was right there. He bent over backwards to lie to me, used my trust, put my family in danger, broke my heart—"

Which each listed sin Kaito sank lower in his seat, cringing, not quite sure if it was for Kudou or for himself, and when he finally brought himself to speak his voice was barely audible. "He had a reason for that, Mouri-san."

"I know." The smile was back. "But that's not why I forgave him."

"…huh?"

"The black organization was a threat on my life whether or not I knew. I was in danger as long as he was near me."

"Then why…?"

"He put in a lot of work to let me trust him again."

"Huh?" Ok, so maybe he sounded a little stupid.

"When he came back he explained everything. From the beginning to the end. He helped me understand why he did it. Having his perspective was important. I realized how terrified he must have been—and what kind of paranoia he had been living in. And the pain he had to endure just to come to me, just to let me see him, as him, to know I'm not alone…" She shuddered.

Kaito was still steadily dismaying. Tried that… "But you could have easily chosen not to understand. Why didn't you?"

"Because I knew I'd regret it, Kuroba-kun. I love him. That in and of itself is reason enough."

And that's it isn't it? Kaito could feel whatever hope he'd built up in the last fifteen minutes disintegrate. There was no way Aoko loved him, which means he was definitely, completely, irreversibly screwed—

"Sometimes, Kuroba-kun, it takes a little patience and persistence," Ran leaned over the table and put a hand on his shoulder sympathetically. "She'll be pissed for quite some time. That's normal if you were being an idiot. I can't promise that she doesn't hate you but I can promise that it's worth it to try. For both of you. If you're going to regret this…regret her…forever…then try. Strive to be worthy of her forgiveness. Don't give up."

Kaito managed a smile. "That's why you forgave him, isn't it, Mouri-san?"

"I knew I would regret it. And no matter what I did I couldn't bring myself to cut that red thread…"

In the face of their happiness, the weight in his chest only grew heavier. Why had he thought that anyone would be able to help him? Even if he wanted to preserve that so called red thread—even if he'd wished—well, that didn't matter. Aoko's happiness was what mattered. And if not having him in her life meant that she was happy, then he would oblige.

Kaito rose to his feet and turned. A smoke bomb and some seconds later, he was clad in full Kid regalia again, slightly damp. "Thank you. For the tea and the talk."

"Kuroba-kun," Ran's voice came again, neutrally, just when he was about to go to the door.

"Yes?" He froze, fingers brushing the handle.

"I told him I hated him. I told him I never wanted to see him again."

Almost exactly identical to what Aoko had said to him. An ironic smile tugged at Kaito's lips.

"But if he had actually done that," Ran continued, "If he had disappeared from my life just like that—if I'd actually never seen him again—I don't know what I would have done. Sometimes people are angry. When they're angry they say things they don't mean—not fully." A pause. He could almost hear the smile in her voice. "Don't give up on her if she hasn't given up on you. Give her time."

And it hurt.

It tore his heart in two.

(Ironic, his nonexistent heart.)

Because there was always the possibility that at the end of the day she will never forgive him. There was always the possibility that waiting will be fruitless. One the one hand Kaito wanted to be strong. Kaito wanted to be determined, march out of her life like she demanded.

But.

But.

On the other he couldn't begrudge himself that tiniest bit of hope.

He had all the time in the world, didn't he?

And Aoko was worth it.

She'd waited for him for so long. Maybe it was his turn. To wait, just a little while. To not intrude on her life, to be kept at the edges, to take whatever she wants to spare and not push for the rest.

He could do that.

He could do that because he loved her.

And suddenly Kaito understood why Mouri Ran waited so long for Kudou Shinichi to come home.

With a grateful glance over his shoulder, Kaitou Kid—Kuroba Kaito—twisted the doorknob and pulled the door open. "Thank you, Mouri-san."

Outside, the rain had stopped. The scent of petrichor permeated the atmosphere, a slight chill still tingling in the air.

"You're welcome." Mouri Ran was grinning. "Oh, and if I catch you pretending to be Shinichi again, I'll—"

"Kick my ass to kingdom come. I know, Mouri-san." Kaito tipped his hat at her. The wind blew the door shut.

When Mouri Ran opened it again, to say her goodbyes one more time, Kaitou Kid was gone, and the only thing left was a poor yellow rosebud on the doorstep, looking a bit drowned.