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"Hello?" Shinichi said, answering his phone without closing the book he was reading.
"Shin-chan!" his mother's excited cry came over the phone, "How are you doing?"
"Fine…" he said cautiously, confused and suspicious. He reached for his bookmark, already anticipating that this phone call was about to give him a headache.
"Good! So, about the Kaitou KID heist this weekend…"
Shinichi narrowed his eyes. He knew that tone. "As you know, mother, the owner refuses to let the police guard the jewel unless it is 'properly displayed.' He requested you specifically wear it. And you already agreed."
"Right, right. It's just an old friend contacted your father and me and invited us to Paris! And we haven't seen them in so long~ So…"
He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Mom."
"Oh, Shin-chan, please don't be mad! I know how much you love seeing KID—"
"I don't enjoy seeing him," Shinichi sputtered.
"And I would never do anything to prevent that!" she continued as if she hadn't heard him, "So I already spoke with the police and the owner, and they agreed that you could wear the jewel in my stead."
"What? No, I can't—"
"Actually the jewel's owner was pretty excited by the idea! He said the jewel has never been worn by a man before and that he would commission an outfit for you to wear with it straight away."
"Wait, hold on—"
"I'm so excited for you, darling! I know you'll catch your thief this time for sure." He could hear in her voice that she was beaming with pride. "You get your good looks from me, you know."
What did that have to do with anything?
"He's not my thief, mom." For some reason, his face turned red.
"Then you better catch him. Have fun, dear!"
Before he could protest further, she hung up.
0-0-0-0-0
"Absolutely not," Shinichi said, crossing his arms while looking at the outfit on the mannequin in disdain. He'd arrived at the heist thirty minutes early as asked so he could get changed. He had thought it strange at the time that they'd requested that much time. Now, he understood.
"Be reasonable, Kudou-kun," Hakuba said, voice soft like he was trying to calm a scared dog, "The jewel's owner already said—"
"I know what he said," Shinichi snapped, then immediately felt bad when he saw Hakuba's slight wince. He closed his eyes and inhaled a slow breath, then let it out just as slowly. "But— do I really have to wear… that?"
The jewel in question was resting in a two-piece collection. The first piece was a thick gold collar that was inlaid with a few small diamonds and a large gem at the center, to be paired with some sort of solid gold belt worn around the waist. The belt was likewise inlaid with diamonds, and had an intricate set of small decorative chains hanging from it. But the real centerpiece was the large jewel in the center of the belt, a watermelon tourmaline. KID's target.
The collar and belt combo were already embarrassing enough with them being much too gaudy for his taste, but even worse was the outfit they insisted he wear with the jewelry. It was like a belly dancer's. The pants at least weren't so bad; they were made of some kind of baggy, loose material that flowed around the legs before tightening around the ankles again. A pair of gold slippers went with them. The issue was the top. It was a sleeveless mock neck crop top that would show off the wearer's midriff (and the jeweled belt.) With it were what he had first thought were a pair of long gloves, but he realized they were actually more like disconnected sleeves, leaving his shoulders bare.
"You must wear it, Kudou-kun," a new voice suddenly joined them. Shinichi turned, recognizing the jewel's owner from the file he'd reviewed. "Millions of eyes will see video footage from tonight's heist, and I want them all to see my collection in its full glory. The watermelon tourmaline is a greatly underappreciated gem. I wish to show everyone its true beauty."
Shinichi turned back to the jewel in question with a raised brow and a withering grimace.
The watermelon tourmaline was certainly unique, he admitted. It got its name from its vibrant pink and mossy green bicoloration, which gave it a strong resemblance to its namesake. Unlike classical sapphires, rubies, and emeralds, the watermelon tourmaline had a more whimsical air to it and looked like it would be more at home if the costume was themed after fairy princess.
Not that he was about to tell the owner that, lest he gave the man even crazier ideas.
"And if I refuse?" he asked, just to be difficult.
The jewel's owner looked at him with cold eyes. "If my collection can't be displayed properly, then I won't have it displayed at all. I will have to ask you and the police to leave. What do I care if KID steals the jewel? He always returns what he steals anyway."
'Unless this one is the one he's looking for,' Shinichi grimly thought. There was a possibility, and he wasn't one to dismiss them, as unlikely as they were.
Well, he really didn't want to have to go all the way back home when he'd just got here. "Fine, I'll wear it." No matter what his mom thought, he was not doing this because he was looking forward to facing off against KID.
"Wonderful!" The owner clapped his hands together. "You will of course need assistance putting on the body jewelry."
Shinichi held back a groan— he had already known this when he'd been shown the pieces. Both the collar and the belt closed with a latch that locked with five separate keys, two for the collar and three for the belt. The keyholes were quite small and their corresponding keys seemed fragile. While he'd be able to put on the outfit alone, he would need someone else to lock him into the collar and belt.
"I can lend my assistance," Hakuba offered.
"You better let me do it, or KID might not be happy," a familiar boisterous voice said, joining them.
Shinichi turned his head in surprise. "Sera-san, I didn't know you would be here tonight."
"Ran-chan asked me to come," she explained. "And I thought it might be fun! KID heists always seem like such a blast, and I wouldn't mind the chance to go up against him again myself!"
"That so…" Shinichi murmured.
"Anyways, let's get you changed," Sera said with a grin, walking closer and shouldering Hakuba to the side.
"Excuse me, Sera-san?" Hakuba interrupted, "What did you mean by what you said earlier?"
"When I said KID wouldn't be happy? Just the fact that I don't have a history with Kudou-kun, and KID knows I play for the opposite team," Sera replied, showing a lot of fang with her smile.
"What team?" Shinichi asked, confused.
Hakuba frowned. "But I also don't have a history with Kudou-kun, and my preferences should not be an issue."
Sera shrugged before casting a look at Shinichi. "But Kudou-kun's are."
"Ah, I see," Hakuba said with a note of understanding as he glanced at Shinichi. "Then I'll step aside."
"Would you guys tell me what you're talking about?" Shinichi asked annoyed, looking back and forth between the two.
Hakuba checked his watch. "The heist shall begin in seventeen minutes and fifteen seconds. Perhaps you should get changed before we continue this conversation?"
Shinichi was tempted to push the subject—he didn't particularly like being the only detective out of the loop—but Hakuba had a point. They would have to lock all five locks on the jewelry, then spread the keys out among the officers to guard, and it was sure to take a bit of time.
The clothes and jewelry pieces were removed from the mannequin and given to Shinichi, and he and Sera went into a private room that had been set aside for him to change.
"You can wait outside until I need help. I can do the clothes myself," Shinichi told Sera.
"That runs the risk that KID will knock me out and disguise himself as me so he can replace the gem before the heist," Sera pointed out while following him inside. "Stop being shy. I won't look until you're ready."
She had a good point. It was a trick KID had already performed numerous times before. "How do I know you haven't already been replaced by KID?"
Instead of defending herself, she instead turned the question back to him. "Do you think I'm KID?"
He slipped on the top, then paused and looked back at her. She was turned away from him, as promised. He studied her for a moment.
"You're not him," he said.
"You sound pretty confident," Sera commented without turning around, "How are you so sure?"
Because her presence felt nothing like KID's.
"Gut feeling," he said irritably while he pulled on the pants. "I'm ready."
Sera turned around and looked him up and down. "You know, I'd be willing to make an exception, but only if I still get to top."
"Top of the case? But that would be Nakamori-keibu." Shinichi furrowed his brow.
Sera opened her mouth, then seemed to change her mind. "The jewels?"
Shinichi sighed and turned to show her his back. "Let's get this over with."
He put the collar on first, holding it in place as Sera carefully locked the two locks. The metal was cool against his skin, but quickly warmed with his body heat. It was surprisingly lighter than it looked, making him wonder if it was an alloy. Silence fell between them, the only sound being the small tings of metal-on-metal while Sera fiddled with the keys.
"Isn't this taking a while?" he asked after a moment.
Sera grunted. "These locks are precise. If the key isn't in exactly right, it won't turn." When Shinichi didn't answer, she continued, "You're in a more sour mood than usual today. What exactly has you so grumpy?"
She finished with the collar, and they moved on to the belt. Shinichi held it on himself the same as he'd done with the first piece, shivering when he felt the cool metal of the chains sliding against his skin. He knew she was right, it wasn't worth trying to argue.
"If I'm the one wearing the jewel, then that means my goal is to avoid KID. I can't participate in the chase."
"Ah, I should have figured," Sera said, understanding dawning, "You want to be the one to catch your thief."
"He's not my thief," Shinichi said, stiffening in offense. Why did everyone keep saying that?
"Easy, Kudou. It was just a turn of phrase. Though your reaction does make one wonder." Her voice was curious, but lacked any teasing. "Do you want him to be yours?"
"What are you saying?" Shinichi sputtered, "That would be crazy."
"Sure, but you're a little crazy too. I think he excites you in a way that goes beyond a detective chasing after a criminal."
"You're speaking nonsense," Shinichi said, mumbling the words and looking down at his feet.
"Maybe," Sera conceded, "Or maybe you just don't want to admit it. But let me ask you this: how would you feel if Hakuba was the one wearing this getup?"
The image came to him unbidden. Hakuba was tall. And attractive. And with his hair, he would no doubt look very good in gold. He imagined KID's eyes on Hakuba, Hakuba who most thought of as KID's true rival, and his stomach twisted itself into an painful knot.
"Done!" Sera announced as the last lock clicked, "And with just enough time to spare. Let's get these keys handed out to the task force before KID's arrival."
0-0-0-0-0
Shinichi ran. He took a sharp left, and cursed as he slid, his arms pinwheeling to keep his balance. The stupid slippers weren't made for functionality. He strained his ears for foot falls behind him, but he couldn't hear anything over the jingling of the chains around his waist. He resisted looking behind him.
In retrospect, it hadn't been worth the effort to hide the keys with the task force when KID saw locks as barely an annoyance, let alone an obstacle. At the start of the heist, KID had appeared in the center of the gallery, standing tall on top of one of the display cases. Shinichi hadn't been able to see his face with the hat and monocle, but he had felt the weight of his gaze and had known KID was looking directly at him.
Ten task force members had all announced that they held one of the five keys, then turned and ran from the gallery. But KID hadn't paid them any mind, his eyes never leaving his target. A sudden thrill had gone up Shinichi's spine. Nakamori-keibu had shouted something at the remaining officers, but Shinichi didn't wait for them to move. He'd turned and ran, knowing KID would be right behind him.
Now that he was running, he had no idea what the plan was. His tranquilizer watch and the rest of his gadgets were with his clothes in the room he changed in. Maybe he could double back and get to them? He mentally pulled up the blueprints of the gallery. The rooms were designed with many branching hallways, designed so visitors could choose what order to see the exhibits in rather than be stuck on a fixed path. He could take the next left up ahead, and that would take him where he wanted to go.
He realized his mistake as he rounded another corner and ran straight into KID's arms.
KID spun them to diffuse his momentum, then dipped Shinichi. Shinichi yelped and his arms flew around KID's neck on reflex. KID gave him a grin. "Caught you~"
"KID!"
"Have a good nap~" KID said a moment before spraying a cloud of pink-colored gas in Shinichi's face. Shinichi didn't even have time to hold his breath. He felt his strength leave him as he sagged in KID's arms, fighting to keep his eyes open. KID pulled him against his chest, then lifted him with an, "Up you go." Shinichi's head lolled and came to rest on KID shoulder.
Then everything went dark.
0-0-0-0-0
The first thing he became aware of was the cool air on his shoulders and waist and a weight around his neck and the small of his back. He was puzzled for a moment before remembering the heist. He was still in that ridiculous outfit. The last thing he remembered…
KID, and the sleeping gas.
Being held in KID's arms.
Okay, focus. He seemed to be lying on his stomach on what felt like a leather couch. Where was KID? He didn't want to open his eyes and risk alerting the thief that he was awake, hoping to catch him by surprise. He strained his ears instead.
He could hear police sirens, but they sounded muffled and distant. They'd probably changed locations, but not too far. One of the nearby empty office buildings, perhaps.
He felt it the moment KID entered the room. He could tell without opening his eyes that KID was looking at him. He felt his pulse quicken.
"You aren't supposed to be awake yet," KID's voice came from much closer than he was expecting.
So much for pretending to still be asleep. He opened his eyes and pushed himself so he was sitting up, wincing slightly—the chains on the waist piece had dug into his stomach while he was laying down. He turned to KID and saw the thief was indeed close by, his eyes trained on Shinichi's midriff. Shinichi blushed. It felt like he'd seen something hungry in KID's gaze, but he had to be imagining it. KID was only here for the jewel.
And he definitely wasn't thinking about the nonsense his mom had said about 'catching' KID and his 'good looks.'
"I won't let you take the jewel," Shinichi replied, not answering the unasked question.
He had developed a tolerance to most drugs, but KID didn't need to know that. But truth be told, he had even less of a plan now than he did when he was back at the gallery. His gadgets were far beyond his reach now. Still, that didn't mean he was going to be cooperative.
KID inclined his head with a smile. "I thought you might say that."
He snapped his fingers, and a cloud of smoke surrounded Shinichi. He held his breath, but released it in surprise when he felt cuffs snap around his wrists. He felt himself hoisted to his feet, arms pulled above his head. When the smoke cleared, his wrists were handcuffed together and tied above his head to a light fixture on the ceiling.
KID was watching him with an unreadable expression, his poker face giving away nothing. He circled behind Shinichi to where he couldn't see him, making for the locks.
He felt a hand come to rest on the small of his back, and he gasped. The touch sent electric tingles up and down his spine. He squirmed, and KID rested a hand on his hip, holding him still. "Now, now, Meitantei. Don't move."
"Why not just drug me again?" Shinichi asked, part of him hoping, part of him dreading that he would.
KID paused, then the thumb that was on his hip moved under the chains and began to rub his skin. His touch left fire in its wake, and Shinichi was so distracted he almost didn't catch what KID said next. "Don't want to hurt you."
He was rubbing one of the marks where one of the chains had dug into his skin, Shinichi realized. He must want Shinichi either sitting or standing then to not cause discomfort. He felt touched by KID's thoughtfulness.
He removed the hand on his hip, as well as the hand on his back, and Shinichi shoved down the feeling of loss. His conversation with Sera came back to him and he mentally groaned. Now was not the best time to be having revelations.
Or maybe it was something he'd already known, but refused to admit to himself.
"Now let's take a look at these locks," KID mumbled.
Shinichi heard movement, then felt KID's breath on his skin, causing the detective to shiver. KID's hand had returned and was resting on his lower back. His other hand came up to span across Shinichi's hip for balance, and Shinichi gasped. His face was on fire by this point.
"KID," his voice sounded breathless, even to his own ears, "Don't."
KID didn't respond, but the hand on his hip tightened pleasantly. Shinichi arched into the touch, then realizing what he'd done, he wiggled his hips to disguise the movement. KID's breath was coming faster now, tickling his bare skin. The hand that was working the lockpick was making small movements while resting against his back. Occasionally his pinky and ring finger would fan out, applying unsteady pressure as the rest of KID's hand moved.
Those hands. The way they touched him. Shinichi was taking small, panting breaths now. Had his back always been so sensitive? He'd barely even noticed when Sera had been helping him dress. The first lock opened with a click, and KID's free hand gave him another squeeze. If Shinichi hadn't been tied to the ceiling, his knees might have given out. He could feel the strength in his grip from that squeeze alone.
A small noise escaped his mouth despite himself.
KID froze. "Am I hurting you?"
Shinichi considered lying, but eventually answered, "No."
KID hesitated, then accepted his answer. He got to work on the other two locks.
Shinichi tried to distract himself from KID's touch. "Are you going to remove the collar as well?"
"No need," KID replied distractedly, "The large watermelon tourmaline in the belt is what I'm after. The one in the collar is too small."
Shinichi had figured as much. "What is it you're looking for?"
He could hear the smirk in KID's answer. "You're the detective. Aren't you supposed to figure it out?"
Shinichi frowned and considered kicking him.
The second lock clicked.
"Just one more," KID murmured. He'd leaned in again; Shinichi was able feel his breath even more so now, making him shiver again.
"If Hakuba was the one wearing this, would you be touching him this much?" As soon as the words left his lips, he regretted them. Why had he asked that?
Behind him, KID made a choking sound. "Please Meitantei, don't make me imagine such horrors."
He couldn't help but feel pleased by the answer.
Silence fell on them again as KID worked on the last lock. His hands were so warm. Shinichi would never be able to look at those hands again. Just their touch alone had ruined him for any other. He didn't know if he'd be able to see those hands again without imagining how they'd felt touching him, squeezing his hip, brushing his skin, wondering how they'd feel exploring elsewhere.
One final click, and the last lock opened.
KID stood, still standing directly behind Shinichi. A hand was on either side of the belt, and he removed it slowly, Shinichi's body caged between his arms. He turned the belt so the gem was facing them.
KID leaned around Shinichi's arm so he could speak directly in his ear. "Beautiful," he said, voice low.
"I think it looks a little tacky," Shinichi responded, ignoring the way his face pinked at KID's proximity.
"I wasn't talking about the jewel."
Shinichi blinked as the words processed, and KID threw another smoke bomb. When the smoke cleared, Shinichi's hands were no longer tied above his head, and KID and the jewel were gone.
0-0-0-0-0
Shinichi struggled to balance as he toed off his shoes, his fingers fumbling to loosen his tie. His body felt exhausted by the late hour, though his mind was still wide awake. He couldn't stop replaying the night's events over in his head. Had that all really happened? He felt like he could still feel KID's hands on him. His face burned just thinking about it.
He trudged up the stairs to his bedroom. If he didn't stop his current train of thought, he was going to have to take a cold shower. That or take himself in hand, but his weren't the hands he wanted to feel right now.
What was wrong with him? He didn't usually struggle with such urges.
But KID's hands. His warmth, the way he'd touched Shinichi, the way he'd held his hip steady. Shinichi had felt the strength in that grip, though KID had been nothing but gentle.
He wondered what it would be like if KID hadn't been so gentle. If KID had left bruises on his hips, hidden from everyday view but both of them aware they were there.
Shinichi shook his head while opening his bedroom door. Cold shower. Cold shower it was. He'd just grab his pajamas, a towel from the hall closet, and—
And Kaitou KID was currently in his room.
Shinichi's brain stalled.
"Meitantei," he greeted, a slight waver to his voice. He was standing near the open window he'd undoubtedly entered from, sans his hat, jacket, and cape. It made him look more human, more vulnerable, rather than the phantom he paraded around as.
"What are you doing here?" Shinichi asked once he'd found his voice.
KID cleared his throat before taking a hesitant step towards him. He flicked his wrist and made a rose appear. He held it up, offering it to Shinichi. "I… couldn't stop thinking about you."
He was nervous, Shinichi realized in awe. But KID was never nervous? At least, not that he ever allowed anyone to see.
Which meant he was letting Shinichi see him now.
Shinichi gave a small smile and reached out, accepting the flower. He lowered his eyes and brought it to his nose. He looked back at KID through his lashes.
"I couldn't stop thinking about you, either," Shinichi admitted.
"Thinking about how you were going to arrest me?" KID joked with an uneasy smile.
Shinichi spun the stem of the rose between his thumb and forefinger, mustering a little courage before answering, "My thoughts were less than pure."
KID's shoulders relaxed and his smile sharpened. He took another step towards Shinichi, closing the distance between them. This close, Shinichi had to look up at him. He remembered how easily KID had picked him up when he'd kidnapped him, and his heart began to race.
"So I'm not the only one that would be interested in continuing where we left off?" KID purred.
Shinichi could feel his own grin matching KID's. Hell, Sera was right. He was a little crazy. "You wouldn't be. And… you can be a little rougher this time."
He watched KID's pupils dilate as his breath caught. KID's hands came up and gripped Shinichi's hips, making him shiver. "How far are you wanting to go?"
Shinichi wrapped his arms around KID's neck. "Maybe that's something we can both figure out together."
He gasped when he felt KID grip the back of his thighs and lift him, his legs automatically circling KID's waist and his arms tightened. KID's grin was predatory as he walked them to the bed before dropping them both onto the mattress. KID loomed over him with Shinichi caged between his arms. "I should warn you, after tonight, after I've finally had you, I don't know if I'll be able to let you go."
Shinichi tightened his legs around KID's hips. "Good." Then he pulled KID down by his tie and crashed their lips together.
0-0-0-0-0
Shinichi woke slowly, feeling an unfamiliar soreness to his body, one he didn't find wholly unpleasant. He reached his arm out, only to find an empty mattress. He opened his eyes.
The other side of the bed was empty.
He felt the pillow, then sighed with relief when he felt the residual warmth. KID hadn't been gone long, was perhaps still even here. Bathroom, maybe?
He climbed out of bed and padded to the bathroom himself. It was empty, but he could tell it had recently been used, with water that still hadn't dried splashed on the countertop. He quickly washed his face and brushed his teeth, pausing when he noticed something new in his reflection. He leaned forward, tilting his head out of the way. There on the crook of his neck was a mark.
His face flushed. That… wouldn't be so easy to cover. But he didn't hate it, either.
A sudden thought came to him, and pulled his shirt over his head. He checked the mirror again, then looked down at himself. As he'd suspected, more marks.
He felt a sense of satisfaction at the sight of them.
He slipped his shirt back on and exited the bathroom before making his way downstairs. "KID?" he called.
"Kitchen!" KID answered. Shinichi entered to find him standing at the counter cutting into a huge watermelon. "All of that talk of watermelon last night had me craving one. Here, have some."
He offered the first wedge to Shinichi.
"When did you even have time to get this?" he asked after taking it. He took a bite and hummed at the sweetness on his tongue.
KID wagged a finger at him, "Now now, Meitantei, you know the rules." He paused to take a bite of his own wedge, chewing before he continued, "A magician never reveals his secret."
Shinichi rolled his eyes, though he couldn't help but smile. "Silly thief."
KID took his hand and gave it a small squeeze, his eyes crinkling with his own smile. "Your thief."
Shinichi squeezed back, his smile soft "My thief."
0-0-0-0-0
(some additional sketches Kiebs gifted us 😌)
(close up detail of the main sketch)
