Chapter Text
“You’re not Shinichi.”
Kid’s eyes snap open as she speaks, his lips parting in surprise as her fingers pinch his hand through his glove, pulling it back from her rear, he notes with a tinge of disappointment.
She pulls back from him and he can't help but feel somewhat sad at the loss of warmth when the small detective bursts into the room.
As he makes his escape, he can't help but glance back.
“You’re lucky, tantei-san.”
“You could choose me.”
“I know.”
“Can you really wait forever?”
She is silent at that. It has been years since she last heard from Shinichi, but she tightly holds onto hope that he will one day come back.
“I will wait for you. If you decide to move on... I’ll be there.” Kid murmurs, lifting Ran’s hand gently to his lips and placing a chaste kiss to the back of it.
She stares pointedly at the ground, refusing to meet his gaze.
Kid stands back up, letting her hand fall back to her side. He turns and begins to walk away, his cape swaying in the breeze.
"What about you?" Ran asks, her voice quavering. "Didn't you have someone you loved?"
Kid freezes, not turning back to her. His fists clench, and his voice is devoid of emotion as he speaks. "I did," he begins, giving a small sigh. "But we grew apart. I haven't spoken to her for a long, long time."
They are similar, in that way. But whilst the young thief has managed to move on, Ran can't help but feebly hope each day will be the day Shinichi returns.
Kaitou Kid had spent far too long feeling the same way.
After that, she doesn't see him for months. Even the police are anxious, wondering why the thief hasn't attempted another heist for so long. Has he finally given up?
She doesn't expect to find him in an alleyway on her way home from shopping, white suit drenched with blood as he stumbles to the ground, exhausted, and clutching onto his arm.
"K-Kid!" She cries out in shock, rushing to him and lifting him up. She pulls her phone from her pocket, about to call for an ambulance, before a blood-stained glove tightly grips her wrist. "No," he coughs, "they'll find out my identity."
Ran is about to berate him for caring when his life is at dire risk, but realises he would likely be arrested if the police found him out. She frowns. They're only around the corner from her house, and it's dark.
The last thing Kid remembers before his vision goes dark is Ran pulling him up and carrying him off somewhere.
Kaito groans groggily as he opens his eyes, wincing in pain against the light. His head hurts like hell— fuck, his whole body hurts.
"Ah, you're awake!"
Ran's voice. He's safe.
She pulls up a chair to the bed— her bed, and takes a seat. "What happened? Where were you, all this time?" Ran asks softly, worry clear in her eyes.
His body is bandaged, and a slight blush rises to his cheeks as he realises she must have removed his clothes to have done so.
"O-oh!" She blushes too, noticing his expression. "I left your pants on! J-just changed your shirt," her face is crimson and her arms wave out in front of her, dismissing his thoughts.
He looks down at himself, finding his pants are, indeed, still intact— well, except for a few tears here and there. He is now wearing a button-up black shirt, however.
"Your dad's?" Kaito asks, ignoring her initial questions as he absentmindedly rubs the cloth between his fingers. He doesn't want to endanger her, or stress her further than she already was.
She pauses, hesitant on what to say. "No..." She begins, frowning. "It's Shinichi's."
He drops it immediately, letting his hand fall to his side. "Ah."
Whatever did become of that Shinichi Kudo? Ran had told him Conan had left to stay with his parents a few years back, and Shinichi had stopped emailing her not long after. Had he decided not to tell her the truth before he left? He had heard the organisation Shinichi faced had been taken down, and yet the detective had remained a child... perhaps that was why he left.
Maybe he wanted Ran to give up on him and move on. Perhaps it was simply impossible to return to his old body forever.
Kaito can't help but wish he had told her outright. Then Ran may have been able to move on.
"Kid?" Ran calls his name, snapping him out of his thoughts.
"Ran." He replies, blue eyes fixed on her, his voice determined. "Ran, be mine."
Her lip trembles and she bites down on it. "Give me time. I... I need to think it over."
Kaito's eyes spark with hope. He has a chance.
"Hello?"
"Kazuha-chan,"
"Oh, Ran-chan! I haven't heard from you for ages!"
Ran smiles at the girl's enthusiastic tone, letting out a quiet laugh.
"I know, I've missed you!"
"So what's up?" Kazuha asks, somewhat suspicious.
"I..." Ran stops herself. She'd rather talk to Kazuha in person. "Why don't you come over?"
"Sure! Should I being Heiji?"
Ran glances towards her room, contemplating. "Yeah, sure!" She doubted Heiji would rat Kid out. Besides, Kid could just hide in her room if he was uncomfortable.
"Raaaaan-chan!" The peppy young woman calls out excitedly as Ran opens the front door.
"Kazuha-chan!" Ran smiles, bringing the woman into a hug.
"Yo, Ran-chan." Heiji gives Ran a half-hearted smile. She suspects the western detective might know more than he lets on about what happened to Shinichi, but she doesn't push it.
"Hey, Hattori-kun." She steps aside, holding an arm out invitingly. "Come on in! I'll make tea."
The two walk past her and she shuts the door behind them before quickly heading to the kitchen, busying herself with boiling the kettle and grabbing cups, before she hears a crash and Heiji yelling. Freezing, she tentatively walks over to the lounge room, peering out from the corner.
"Why the hell didn't ya tell me you were back, Kudo?!" Heiji yells angrily, holding Kaito up by the collar. "Ya kept Ran waiting all this time, idiot!" Kazuha grabs Heiji by his sleeve, trying to pull him back, as Kaito tries to get out of the man's grip.
"Hattori-kun, wait! That's not Shinichi!" Ran steps out from the corner and separates them, nervously looking at Kaito. "I thought you were gonna stay in my room," she hisses out at him.
"Couldn't help it," he grins weakly. "I just had to meet the detective said to rival him."
Heiji glares at the stranger. "The hell..." He grumbles, backing off. "Who is he?"
Ran blinks, frowning. She can hardly tell him that it's Kaitou Kid, but she doesn't know his real name. She looks at Kid nervously.
"Kaito," he supplies. "I met Ran a while ago whilst I was shopping. Just having dinner here since I'm not much of a cook." He laughs dismissively, grinning at Ran. "Right?"
"Ah, yeah." Ran lies with a smile.
"I'll make sure these two behave, Ran-chan! Go ahead and get the tea!" Kazuha says cheerily, pulling the two boys back into their seats and pointedly sitting between them.
The moment Ran leaves the room, Heiji glares at Kaito. "Ran?" He sneers. "That's awfully familiar for someone ya haven't known all too long."
"Ehe..." Kaito laughs nervously.
"Don't tell me..." Kazuha gasps, "you like her?"
"You've got no chance." Heiji snaps. "Ran-chan loves Kudo. She hasn't forgotten him all these years. Even if ya got together, she'd still leave ya for Kudo the moment he came back."
"I know." Kaito replies solemnly. "But I can't stand her being sad. Do you really want her to be alone her whole life, waiting for someone who might never come back?"
"He will," Heiji's clenches his fists, "he definitely will."
"Jeez, Heiji! Can't you go five minutes without arguing?" Kazuha frowns at him, clearly irritated. "For Ran-chan's sake, just let her decide and be happy for her."
"Hmph."
"So, Ran-chan, tell me about this Kaito-kun!"
Ran looks away for a moment. Kaito is asleep in her room— on her bed, again, as she insists he needs somewhere comfortable to sleep until he gets better. Heiji is in the spare room, and Kazuha and Ran were to share a mattress in the lounge room.
"I've known him a while now. I met him around the time Conan-kun was living with dad and I."
"Eh?! That long? He made it sound recent!" Kazuha seems taken aback, and Ran laughs.
"He probably doesn't want Hattori-kun to find out too much about him. Even I don't really know him all too well, honestly..."
"But?"
"He asked me to be his." Ran finishes, exhaling deeply.
Kazuha gives a squeal of excitement.
"Kazuha-chan! Quiet!" Ran shushes her, but she can't hold back the smile on her face. "I don't know what to do." Her tone becomes sombre as she speaks.
"Ran-chan..." Kazuha begins, "what do you feel for him?"
"I... I'm sure I could love him. Maybe I already do. But what if I'm just using him to replace Shinichi? What if Shinichi comes back and I've already moved on? I can't help but see his hurt face."
"You need to think of yourself first, Ran-chan. You've waited so long, isn't it enough? Isn't it okay to finally be happy, and do what you want this time?" Kazuha says softly, pulling her friend into a hug.
"Don't worry about the what if's, Ran-chan. Do whatever makes you happy." She continued comfortingly as Ran finally broke down, sobbing tears that had waited for years to come out.
"Hurt her and I'll kill you," Heiji warns Kaito as he steps out of the building.
Kaito smiles. "If I am ever so stupid, it will be a welcome punishment." Heiji gives him a curt nod before waving goodbye to Ran and stepping out with Kazuha at his side.
As he waves to them, Ran speaks up.
"Kaito." He flinches. His name sounds foreign on her lips; he is so used to her calling him Kaitou Kid.
"Y-yes?"
She shuts the door and turns to him, grabbing his shirt and pulling his face down as she leans up and meets him, her lips gently pressing against his.
"You win," she murmurs, eyes fluttering closed, "I'll be yours, if you'll be mine."
His arms thread around her waist, pulling her in closer. "Always, my dear."
It is their second hug, and their first kiss. How he has waited so long for this moment, so many years. Her tantalizing lips so long ago when she thought he was Shinichi. But, then, did he really want to feel her lips when she thought he was someone else?
No. He wanted her to want him as Kaito, no one else.
He was not Shinichi, no matter how similar they may be— in appearance or otherwise. He was his own person, and he wanted Ran to love him for his differences. As he loved her for her uniqueness, rather than her similarities to Aoko.
It was originally hard to not compare her to Aoko, but the more he got to know her, the more he saw just how different she was. And just how much he grew to love all of those little differences.
Heiji's words haunt his mind, however. Words that rung true, no matter how hard he silently denied it.
Her heart belongs to Kudo.
"Kaito," Ran whispers as they sit together, grasping mugs of hot cocoa with a blanket draped over their backs.
"Hm?" He takes a sip from his drink, peering at her from the corner of his eyes.
"Tell me about yourself," she begins quietly, "I mean... I know Kaitou Kid. Tell me about Kaito."
Kaito frowns. He isn't sure where to begin, what to say. He's never told anyone much about himself. Even to Aoko; having known her for so long, she knew most everything regardless, aside from his persona as Kaitou Kid.
"Well... my name is Kaito Kuroba." He scratches the back of his head, trying to decide what to tell her. She gives a light laugh. "I'm 20 years old, a Cancer."
Ran nods. "I'm a-"
"Taurus," Kaito grins, cutting her off. He chuckles as she purposefully elbows him roughly in the side.
"How about this? We'll ask each other questions, but we both have to answer." Ran suggests, smiling gently.
"Sure, I'll begin, then." Kaito turns to face her, face completely serious. "Ran," he murmurs, leaning in slightly. "Tell me, what are your bust, waist and hip measurements?"
Ran opens her mouth as if to speak before immediately shutting it, glaring at him. "Kaito..." She glowers dangerously.
"Okay, okay!" He laughs, raising his hands in defeat. "You go first, then."
Still glaring at him, Ran draws back and taps a finger to her chin in thought. "Ah... okay, what are you scared of?"
"Hah, Kaitou Kid, scared?" He snorts, before catching Ran's irritated expression and giving a nervous laugh. "Er... fish," he finally admits sheepishly.
Ran blinks slowly, tilting her head slightly as if assuming she misunderstood him. As he stared back with a straight face, she couldn't resist giggling.
"O-oi!" Kaito sputters.
"Sorry," Ran says between giggles, covering her mouth to contain her smirk, "I just really didn't expect that."
Kaito huffs, crossing his arms. "Your turn."
"Ghosts," she replies. Despite how many people have told her it was a silly fear, she doubted she would ever get over it. The idea of a paranormal creature, something that physical attacks did not work on, may exist frightened her. Even if Shinichi tried endlessly to prove their nonexistence to her.
She sets her mug on the coffee table before them, preparing herself for him to tell her, like everyone else did, that ghosts don't exist.
He doesn't.
Kaito lifts his mug to his lips, giving a short hum in agreement. "Yeah, can't blame you there." After finding out that witches were real, he had decided he couldn't really argue that any paranormal being existed, even if they defied logic at times.
Ran stares blankly at him for a moment, bewildered. "Really?"
Kaito smiles. He cant exactly just tell her about Akako, he supposes. Honestly, he isn't sure she'd even believe him, so instead he simply nods at her. "My turn!" He grins, and for a moment he can see her tensing up, readying herself to slap him if he should dare ask another perverted question.
But what should he ask her? He knew a fair bit about her, although mostly things related to Shinichi. "Hm, who's your best friend?" Kaito gives a shrug, unable to think of much better. Besides, he'd know who not to transform into during a heist.
"Sonoko." Ran answers, looking at him pointedly. "You?"
Kaito is silent for a moment. Tough question, really. Aoko? Well, maybe once. Hakuba? … Hah, that was a laugh. And, well... Jii-san was a bit too old for Kaito to pronounce as a best friend.
Sighing, Kaito puts his mug down and flops back against the couch. "Dunno, really," he murmurs, smiling apologetically at her. "Sorry, probably an unfair question to ask when I don't have a response."
Ran waves it off. "Don't worry! What's the strangest thing to ever happen to you?"
Kaito shudders. "Being hit on when disguised as a woman."
"You've been disguised as women?"
"I've been disguised as you."
"You've been disguised as me?!" Ran looks mortified at the notion, instinctively crossing one arm over her chest.
Kaito smirks. "Don't worry, Ran," he breaths out, his voice deep. "I didn't touch you... although I will still be needing those three sizes."
He chokes back a scream as the coffee table is flipped over, their drinks splattering all over the floor. Nervously, he switches his gaze to Ran.
She blinks, looking at the mess. "Crap."
Kaito stands up sharply, rushing for the kitchen to grab paper towel to clean the beverages from the floor. Thank god that wasn't me...
As he returns, he finds her righting the table and removing the— somehow unbroken— mugs. "You." Ran says, not even looking at him.
"Eh?" Kaito freezes. Is she still mad?
"You're the strangest thing to ever happen to me."
Kaito grins broadly at that. "Y'know, I'm not great with asking questions. Or not being..." Kaito clears his throat, "perverted with answers." He admits, wiping absently at the floor.
"I've noticed," Ran sighs. "How about I just ask you things as we go?"
"Works for me."
"Rannnn," Kaito whines as the door is shut in his face.
"Not happening!" Ran replies, pressing her back against the wall so he cant simply open it.
"But you let me sleep in there before," Kaito protests, sighing and sitting with his back against the door.
"That's different," Ran replies, "you were injured before, and I was sleeping on the couch."
"So we can both have the bed this time, now that I'm not injured!"
"I'm not sleeping with you!" Ran cries.
Kaito smiles, but pretends to be upset. "Fine, fine... guess you wont be wanting my present, then. You'll have to let me in so I can come take it from your bed."
"… My bed?" Ran asks, confused. She turns to look, finding a strange shape occupying the bed. Walking over, she pulls the blanket off, and then is silent for a few minutes.
Suddenly, the door is yanked open and Kaito falls down into the room. Ran promptly throws the offending object at his face as he cracks up laughing.
"I can't believe you!" Ran shrieks, dropping to her knees and halfheartedly attempting to smother him with it.
"Whatever do you mean, my dear Ran?" Kaito asks innocently, wheezing as he tries to breathe.
"Why the hell would you buy me a... a Kaitou Kid body pillow?!" Her face is flushed scarlet as she purposely refuses to look at the half-clothed Kaitou Kid pillow that seemed all too realistic for her liking.
Kaito grins mischievously, winking at her. "Wanna find out how accurate it is?"
Ran opens her mouth, sputtering in attempt to come up with a response, but he lifts himself up and captures his lips.
Ran gives a muffled cry in shock before relaxing and leaning into the kiss, deepening it for a moment before pulling back hesitantly. Her eyes gaze into his for a moment, then she suddenly averts her gaze, frowning.
"Kaito..." She murmurs guiltily.
"I know." Kaito pulls her back against him, falling to the floor and holding her to his chest. He stares up at the wall, giving a small smile. "It's okay, Ran. I'll wait for the day where I'm the only one you see."
Ran chokes out a sob before giving in and crying into his shirt.